The last time Massimo Martinelli visited China was just five months ago. He still remembers beautiful weather and clear days in Beijing and Shanghai.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of his strong connection with China. In 1999, Corrado Colini, the director-general of the Italian Ministry of Environment, invited Martinelli to join a project on energy efficiency that was a part of a Sino-Italian collaboration program.

He has been working closely with China's environmental protection sector ever since.

"At that time I was trying to write a book on energy efficiency in industries," said the 72-year-old Martinelli, now a private consultant. "I was very happy to start this new experience and I can say now that I've never regretted my idea to stop writing that boring book to begin working in China.

"The Chinese government has done a lot to improve the quality of the environment," said Martinelli. "If you consider the rate of reduction in air pollution in the last 15 years, you will be impressed."

Martinelli is a physicist who worked in the Italian Agency for Nuclear Power doing research on the protection of environment, workers and the public from nuclear radiation. In the 1980s, he began to study air pollution and later managed important national programs on issues related to the environment.

In 1996, he became a private consultant and served as a member of the Scientific Committee of the Italian Ministry of Environment. He was also an advisor on international cooperation for the Italian Minister of Environment from 2011 to 2013.

Martinelli is now working with the Beijing Municipality Environmental Protection Bureau on efforts to control air pollution and improve air quality.

For his work in China, he received the Great Wall Friendship Award from the mayor of Beijing. In 2013, with a recommendation from the Ministry of Environmental Protection of China, he was awarded the Chinese Government Friendship Award by Vice Premier Ma Kai.

"Since 1999, Martinelli has devoted himself into environmental collaboration between China and Italy and actively helped the Chinese government introduce advanced environmental protection technology and management experience," said the Ministry of Environmental Protection in 2013. "More than 200 projects have benefited 26 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions.

"Even in 2010 when the Italian economy was in the doldrums, Martinelli still did his best to push forward the cooperation between China and Italy in the field of environmental protection."

Martinelli said he has always believed that the cooperation between China and Italy can benefit both countries at different levels.

"When we started the issue was the technology. China wanted new technologies for environmental protection or in general, more environmental-friendly technologies and Italy wanted to promote its technologies," he said.

"Now we are in a very different situation. The technological gap is rapidly decreasing and the problem is becoming implementation of environmental policies and to find the smoothest way to introduce effective measures and regulations without affecting too much the economy and with a small social impact and eventually support industries in the needed changes."

Martinelli said Italy now has a new young premier, Matteo Renzi, who sees China as one of the most important strategic partners for Italy. He said he deeply hopes that during the state visit of Premier Li Keqiang to Italy, they will have the opportunity to discuss possible areas of further cooperation between the two countries.

"I hope that our small Sino-Italian collaboration program born from the futuristic vision of Colini 15 years ago - in which I had the honor to participate - will be able to contribute to the success of future cooperation," said Martinelli.

suzhou@chinadaily.com.cn