Italy's Meloni Pledges to Revitalize Cooperation with China
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Italy's Meloni vows to 'relaunch' cooperation with China
Italy and China flag together realtions textile cloth fabric texture Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni vowed on Sunday to "relaunch" cooperation with China, signing a three-year action plan during her first official visit to Beijing since taking office. Meloni, who has led a right-wing government since 2022, made the announcement during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, as Rome seeks to improve trade ties with Beijing after it exited President Xi Jinping's flagship Belt and Road infrastructure investment scheme last year. The Italian leader said her five-day trip was a "demonstration of the will to begin a new phase, to relaunch our bilateral cooperation." The action plan aims to experiment with new forms of cooperation, she added. Later in the day Meloni said that an industrial cooperation memorandum signed by Italy and China includes strategic industrial sectors such as electric mobility and renewables. Li Qiang pointed to "mutually beneficial cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises in the fields of shipbuilding, aerospace, new energy, artificial intelligence," in a statement released by his office. Meloni, who sees Chinese investment as a way to spur Italy's anemic economic growth, will meet Xi and China's top legislator, Zhao Leji, third in the leadership hierarchy. On Sunday, Meloni also attended an Italy-China business forum, to which companies including Italian tire-maker Pirelli, energy group ENI, defense group Leonardo, wine producers and several Italian luxury fashion groups such as Dolce & Gabbana were invited. The forum gives "another signal of the mutual interest ... (to) balance more our interests, our commercial exchange," she said. Meloni is expected to raise Chinese overcapacity with Chinese officials, as well as Chinese economic support for Russia in its war with Ukraine.
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Italy's Meloni vows to 'relaunch' cooperation with China - Times of India
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced a three-year action plan to boost cooperation with China during her first official visit to Beijing. She aimed to rekindle trade ties after Italy's withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative last year. Key sectors for cooperation include electric mobility, renewables, and artificial intelligence. Meloni also addressed concerns over China's support for Russia.
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Italy PM Meloni vows to 'relaunch' bilateral ties with China
At the time, Rome said the massive Chinese investment scheme had failed to bring any benefits to Italy. Ms Meloni described her trip as a "demonstration of the will to begin a new phase, to relaunch our bilateral cooperation". She also said the two countries have signed an agreement that aims to boost cooperation on electric vehicles and renewable energy. In a statement released by his office, Premier Li said the two countries aim to increase "mutually beneficial cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises in the fields of shipbuilding, aerospace, new energy, artificial intelligence." Italy was the only major Western nation to sign up to the BRI, one of China's most ambitious trade and infrastructure projects. The move was heavily criticised at the time by the US and some other major Western countries. Since coming to office in 2022, Ms Meloni has sought to lead a more pro-Western and pro-Nato foreign policy than her predecessors. Before withdrawing from the BRI, Ms Meloni had described the former government's decision to join it as "a serious mistake". Under her leadership, Italy has moved to block a Chinese state-owned company from taking control of tyre making giant Pirelli. Rome has also supported a recent move by the European Commission to impose tariffs of as much as 37.6% on electric vehicles imported from China. Two-way trade between two countries reached 66.8 billion euros (£56.3 billion) last year, making China Italy's largest non-EU trading partner after the US.
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announces plans to strengthen ties with China, signaling a shift in Italy's foreign policy. The move comes as Italy prepares to exit China's Belt and Road Initiative while seeking to maintain positive relations.
Italy's Diplomatic Shift Towards China
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced a significant diplomatic move, vowing to relaunch cooperation with China. This declaration comes as Italy prepares to exit China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a global infrastructure development strategy
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.Balancing Act: Exiting BRI While Fostering Ties
Meloni's government has been working on a strategy to leave the BRI without damaging its relationship with Beijing. Italy, which joined the initiative in 2019, was the only G7 nation to do so. The prime minister emphasized that withdrawing from the BRI does not preclude the possibility of having excellent relations with China
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.Economic Implications and Future Prospects
Despite Italy's participation in the BRI, the expected economic benefits have not fully materialized. Italian exports to China have grown at a slower pace compared to those of France and Germany, who are not part of the initiative. Meloni's administration is now focused on finding alternative ways to boost economic cooperation with China
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.Diplomatic Efforts and High-Level Meetings
As part of this renewed focus on Sino-Italian relations, Meloni has engaged in high-level diplomatic efforts. She held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali last year. More recently, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani visited Beijing, meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to discuss strengthening bilateral ties
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Strategic Importance of the Partnership
The Italian government recognizes the strategic importance of maintaining a strong partnership with China. Meloni stated that the two nations share many common interests and emphasized the need to expand their cooperation. This approach aligns with Italy's broader foreign policy goals of balancing its relationships with global powers while protecting its national interests
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.Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
As Italy navigates this diplomatic transition, it faces both challenges and opportunities. The country must carefully manage its exit from the BRI while simultaneously working to strengthen its economic and political ties with China. This delicate balancing act will require skilled diplomacy and a clear vision for the future of Sino-Italian relations
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