Italy’s Prime Minister Meloni pledges to “relaunch” relations with China

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has pledged to “relaunch” relations with China as she embarks on her first visit to Beijing since taking office. During her five-day trip, Meloni met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and signed a three-year plan aimed at enhancing economic cooperation between the two countries.

This visit follows Italy’s withdrawal from President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) last year, which Rome criticized for failing to deliver tangible benefits. Meloni framed her trip as an opportunity to “begin a new phase” and revitalize bilateral cooperation. The two nations have also agreed on an accord to boost collaboration in electric vehicles and renewable energy.

Premier Li emphasized that the partnership will focus on increasing “mutually beneficial cooperation” in areas such as shipbuilding, aerospace, new energy, and artificial intelligence. Italy, previously the only major Western country to join the BRI, faced significant criticism from the US and other Western nations for its participation.

Since taking office in 2022, Meloni has shifted Italy’s foreign policy towards a more pro-Western and pro-NATO stance, criticizing her predecessors’ BRI engagement as a “serious mistake.” Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis, noted that without BRI membership, Meloni is approaching China with a more balanced partnership rather than as a subordinate ally.

Under Meloni’s leadership, Italy has also blocked a Chinese state-owned firm from acquiring the tire manufacturer Pirelli and supported European Commission tariffs of up to 37.6% on Chinese electric vehicles. Last year, 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.