Italian Senate Speaker Pietro Grasso (1st L) addresses the launch ceremony of the Italian version of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China in Rome, Italy, Sept 20, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Italian government officials hailed President Xi Jinping's view that development must be conducted in a "peaceful, civilized and harmonious way", calling it the foundation for global development, as the Italian edition of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China was presented at the Italian Senate recently.

The book now has been translated into 23 languages, with its Italian and Albanian editions launched, respectively, in Rome and Tirana. According to the publisher, the Chinese Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, the book has sold more than 6.5 million copies in 160 countries and regions since it was first published in Sept 2014.

President of the Italian Senate Pietro Grasso praised Xi's vision based on "reforms, sustainable development, fighting corruption, diplomatic relations and so on."

According to Li Ruiyu, the Chinese ambassador to Italy, Sino-Italian relations are at their best time in history, making it perfect timing to release the book, which is expected to help Italians get to know China better.

In the launch ceremony for the Albanian edition held on Friday in Tirana, Albanian President Illir Meta attended the ceremony and said that the book can help Albanian scholars, diplomats and other professionals, as well as general readers, to better understand China

"Sino-Albania relations are becoming increasingly close and with mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields", said Meta, emphasizing that Albania and China attach great importance to strengthening cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

"The publication of the Albanian edition of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China will promote Albanians' understanding of China and enhance the cooperation between China and Albania under the Belt and Road Initiative," Chinese ambassador to Albania Jiang Yu agreed.

The 566-page book outlines the political ideas of China's top leadership, contains 79 speeches, talks, interviews, notes and letters of the top Chinese leader between November 2012 and June 2014.

The launch ceremonies in Rome and Tirana were hosted by the Chinese State Council Information Office, Chinese Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, the Italian Senate and the Chinese embassies in Italy and Albania.