The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is working closely with China with a view to possible membership, an OECD official said on Wednesday.

"China is a country of strategic interest to the OECD, which is working together with China through specific enhanced engagement programs, with a view to possible membership," Sergio Arzeni, head of the OECD Center for Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Local Development, told Xinhua in an interview.

The official, who is here attending an Italian National Innovation Day event, said human capital is the essence of innovation.

"In this approach we want to closely cooperate, because we think that China's prosperity and development is a good thing for everybody," he added.

"Nowadays it's fundamental to export knowledge besides products," said Arzeni, referring to an exhibition of 265 innovative projects that will be showcased at the Shanghai Expo to promote Italy's technological excellence and know-how.

The official said what is most important is to empower people to innovate, which relies on broad and relevant education as well as a continuous global exchange of wide-ranging knowledge and skills.

Being the kingdom of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Italy can transfer to China its rich experience of policies in support of SMEs, like the cooperative banks, which in times of crisis can help small companies more easily than big banks, he said.

On the other hand, Italy should learn from China's ability to attract foreign talents into its best universities, Arzeni said, stressing that talents are the driving force behind innovation.

"China is strongly investing in research and innovation, but it is especially clever at cultivating talents, rapidly catching up with other countries in many fields," he said.

In comparison, Italy has not been able to attract as many Chinese students as other European countries, said the official.

"But this gap can be easily filled thanks to the millenary patrimony of history and tradition shared by the two countries, lightening up young Italians' passion for China, which is perhaps the biggest cultural power in the world," he said.