- Italy PM Giorgia Meloni vows to relaunch ties with China
- Meloni met Chinese Premier Li Qiang and signed a three-year plan to enhance economic cooperation between the two nations
- A “new phase” of bilateral cooperation, including agreements on electric vehicles and renewable energy
Italy PM Giorgia Meloni vows to relaunch ties with China
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has pledged to “relaunch” relations with China during her first visit to Beijing since taking office. Meloni met Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the start of her five-day trip and signed a three-year plan to enhance economic cooperation between the two nations.
This visit follows Italy’s exit from President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) last year, with Rome citing a lack of benefits from the scheme. Meloni described her visit as a step towards a “new phase” of bilateral cooperation, including agreements on electric vehicles and renewable energy.
Premier Li highlighted the intention to boost cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises in shipbuilding, aerospace, new energy, and artificial intelligence. Italy had been the only major Western nation in the BRI, a move criticised by the US and other Western countries.
Since taking office in 2022, Meloni has pursued a more pro-Western and pro-NATO foreign policy. She called Italy’s initial involvement in the BRI a “serious mistake” and emphasised a shift from being a subordinate to a more equal partner with China.
Meloni has also taken steps to block Chinese state-owned companies from acquiring significant Italian businesses, such as tyre giant Pirelli, and supported EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Despite these tensions, China remains Italy’s largest non-EU trading partner after the US, with bilateral trade reaching €66.8 billion (£56.3bn) last year.
Pechino, il mio intervento al Business Forum Italia-Cina pic.twitter.com/ihM98acwU3
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) July 28, 2024