BEIJING – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has made her first visit to China with the aim of enhancing cooperation and rebalancing trade relations between Italy and the world’s second-largest economy. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Meloni emphasized the need for improved terms for Italian firms operating in China, following Italy’s exit from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) last year.
During her visit, Meloni highlighted the significant disparity between Italian investment in China and Chinese investment in Italy, noting that the former is about three times larger. “We clearly want to work to remove obstacles for our products to access the Chinese market,” Meloni said.
Meloni’s trip comes in the wake of Italy’s decision to leave Chinese President Xi Jinping’s flagship BRI, a global infrastructure investment scheme aimed at resurrecting the ancient Silk Road trade route. Despite the exit, Meloni reiterated Italy’s desire to strengthen trade ties with China’s $18.6 trillion economy.
Italy’s strategic importance to China is underscored by its potential to influence the European Union’s stance on tariffs for Chinese electric vehicles. As the EU’s 27 members consider supporting the Commission’s proposal for tariffs, Italy’s position could be pivotal.
In 2019, Italy became the only member of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies to join the BRI, a significant diplomatic achievement for China. However, under pressure from the United States, Rome exited the program last year.
Meloni acknowledged that, despite being part of the Silk Road initiative, Italy did not see the highest volume of Chinese investment compared to other European nations. “As I have said many times, we were the only nation among the great nations of Western Europe to be part of the Silk Road. But we were not the nation that had the best trade with China. Far from it,” she remarked.
During a meeting with Xi at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guest House on Monday, Meloni stressed Italy’s crucial role in China’s relations with the EU. She expressed her hope for more balanced trade relations and emphasized the importance of Italy as a moderating voice within the EU.
EU members are set to vote in October on the imposition of additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, with Italy indicating its support for the motion. Meloni’s visit to China aims to ensure that Italian interests are well-represented and to secure better terms for Italian firms in the Chinese market.