Italy will give a "big push" to China and the European Union for free trade talks, a senior Italian trade official said.

Riccardo Monti, president of the Italian Trade Agency, said that Italy, which currently holds the six-month EU presidency, will play its role to help launch such talks as soon as possible.

"Italy will send a 'big push' to start free trade agreement talks between Beijing and Brussels, and the time is ripe" for an agreement, Monti told China Daily on the eve of Premier Li Keqiang's arrival in Rome on Tuesday and following his visits to Germany and Russia.