Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy recently visited China to meet with President Xi Jinping in an effort to strengthen bilateral cooperation between their two countries. During the meeting, Meloni emphasized the importance of 20-year anniversary of the strategic partnership signed between China and Italy, as well as the 700-year anniversary since the passing of Marco Polo. She highlighted the need to foster economic, cultural, scientific relations, and open dialogues at the multilateral level in the ever-changing world. President Xi Jinping echoed Meloni’s sentiments, emphasizing the historical ties between China and Italy along the Silk Road, and the importance of viewing their bilateral relations from a long-term perspective.
Despite pulling Italy out of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in December, Meloni signed an agreement during her visit that provides a new path for the two countries to collaborate on trade and other issues. The Belt and Road Initiative, led by President Xi Jinping, aims to build infrastructure around the world to boost global trade and deepen China’s ties with other nations. However, this initiative has been criticized by some as an attempt by China to buy political influence in Europe. Meloni’s discussions with President Xi focused on advancing various areas of cooperation, including industry, food safety, education, and a strategic partnership on electric vehicles.
During her visit to China, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also held bilateral cooperation talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. They attended a joint business forum where they signed a three-year action plan to implement past agreements and explore new forms of cooperation. The agreements pledged to enhance cooperation in various fields, including industry, food safety, education, and a strategic partnership related to electric vehicles. Electric vehicles have become a symbol of growing trade tensions between China and the EU, with Italy supporting the EU’s decision to impose provisional tariffs of up to 37.6% on China-made EVs in July.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to China sought to reestablish cooperation with Beijing and strengthen economic, cultural, and scientific ties between the two countries. The meeting between Meloni and President Xi Jinping emphasized the historical significance of the Silk Road and the shared cultural heritage between China and Italy. Despite Italy’s previous withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative, the signing of a new agreement during the visit reflects a renewed commitment to collaboration on trade and other issues. The focus on electric vehicles as a key area of cooperation underscores the importance of addressing trade tensions and finding common ground between China and the EU.
In conclusion, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s trip to China marked an important step in reinvigorating bilateral relations and fostering cooperation between Italy and China. The focus on celebrating historical anniversaries and emphasizing the shared cultural heritage between the two countries reflects a desire to deepen ties and promote international dialogue. The signing of new agreements during the visit demonstrates a commitment to advancing cooperation in various fields, including industry, food safety, education, and electric vehicles. Despite challenges such as trade tensions, Italy and China are working towards finding common ground and expanding their collaboration for mutual benefit.
