BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Pragmatic cooperation, mutual benefit, and win-win results are still the mainstay of China-Italy relations, according to the annual development report of Italy released Tuesday.

"No matter how the international situation changes, both China and Italy should actively maintain practical cooperation to benefit the two peoples," said the report issued by the Institute of European Studies (IES) of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"Economic recovery and sustainable economic growth would not occur in a closed internal market for either China or Italy," said Sun Yanhong, the editor-in-chief of the report and senior researcher with the IES, at the book launch seminar in Beijing.

Bilateral trade between China and Italy surged 34 percent, year on year, to reach 73.95 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, according to data from China's commerce ministry.

The report noted the significant increase became a highlight of the cooperation between the two countries given the COVID-induced disruptions.

Looking ahead, the two countries have broader prospects for cooperation in clean energy, sustainable transport, and energy infrastructure.

The annual report, titled "Italy Seeking Opportunities in Crisis under the Pandemic," is the third of the Blue Book of Italy series, which analyzes significant developments in Italian politics, economy, society, and China-Italy relations yearly.