Italian Prime Minister Meloni has promised to relaunch relations with China.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has committed to strengthening ties with China during her inaugural visit to Beijing, where she met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The two leaders signed a three-year plan to bolster economic cooperation between their countries.
This visit follows Italy's exit from President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) last year, citing insufficient benefits from the Chinese investment program. Meloni described the trip as an effort to revive bilateral relations and announced agreements to enhance collaboration on electric vehicles and renewable energy.
Premier Li's office highlighted the aim of fostering mutually beneficial cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises in sectors such as shipbuilding, aerospace, new energy, and artificial intelligence.
Italy's participation in the BRI had faced criticism from the US and other Western nations. However, under Meloni's leadership, Italy has adopted a more pro-Western and pro-NATO foreign policy. The government has also blocked a Chinese state-owned company's bid to acquire Pirelli, a major Italian tire manufacturer, and supported the European Commission's decision to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
In 2023, bilateral trade between Italy and China reached 66.8 billion euros (£56.3 billion), making China Italy's largest non-EU trading partner after the US.
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