The reconfiguration of a global order in which China and Europe together bear important responsibilities and cooperate to safeguard rules-based governance is absolutely necessary, a former prime minister of Italy has said.

According to Enrico Letta, who is currently dean of the School of Politics, Economic and Global Affairs at Spain's IE University, the world today is experiencing a geopolitical earthquake, with the United States administration threatening global prosperity and peace, and ongoing regional conflicts exacerbating geopolitical risks and undermining global prosperity, economic growth and political stability.

"Reconfiguration means advancing new cooperation to restore multilateralism and eliminate the law of the jungle," Letta said during an interview in Shanghai on Friday.

"A rule-based international order is reasonable. The geopolitical logic of might makes right leaves small and weak countries suffering, which is unacceptable.

"Europe and China regard the UN-centered multilateral system as the only solution to problems in trade, economy, new technologies and geopolitics. The two sides should also jointly promote follow-up plans to strengthen the UN's role."

Letta is in China for the Shanghai Forum 2026, jointly hosted by Fudan University, which is themed on "the age of reconfiguration: innovation and global governance".

Letta added that, with turmoil in the Middle East endangering the global economy and raising the risk of recession, China and Europe must strengthen trade and economic cooperation. The former Italian PM stressed that, if regional wars cannot be stopped and regional transportation cannot be restored in a timely manner, the world will fall into recession.

Highlighting mutually beneficial cooperation in culture, fashion and education, Letta said that "growing two-way student exchanges between Italy and China have been impressive over the past years.

"Universities of the two countries have established extensive cooperation ties, and there is close cultural linkage between Venice and Shanghai," he said, adding that he is optimistic about the future of China-Europe educational cooperation.

China's effort to popularize education, balance urban and rural educational resources, and narrow internal development gaps is worthy of recognition, he said, as it sets a good example for global inequality governance.