Keeping Up Appearances

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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni began a five-day visit to China this week, aimed at revitalizing ties between Rome and Beijing, months after Italy withdrew from China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Politico reported.

The visit marks Meloni’s first visit to Beijing since taking office, with the Italian leader vowing to “relaunch” bilateral relations between both nations.

On Sunday, she and Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang announced six new agreements covering different sectors, including electric vehicles and renewable energies. The Italian leader described the three-year “action plan” as an important step toward improving access to the Chinese market and enhancing intellectual property protection for Italian businesses.

On Monday, Meloni met with President Xi Jinping, who called for more cooperation between the two nations, the Associated Press added.

The official visit comes after Meloni’s cabinet withdrew Italy from the BRI in December.

Italy’s previous government joined China’s $1 trillion global infrastructure initiative in 2019, which sparked concerns among the United States and the European Union that the BRI could lead to Beijing taking control of critical infrastructure and technology.

Meloni had called then-Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s decision to join the BRI a “mistake,” and began talks to withdraw last year.

She has previously criticized China’s human rights record and expressed concerns over Europe’s dependency on Chinese supply chains.

Despite the withdrawal, Meloni emphasized Italy’s determination to maintain “mutually beneficial” relations to mitigate potential economic retaliation from China.

Analysts told the Financial Times that the visit underscores Meloni’s efforts to minimize the fallout of withdrawing from the BRI, as well as Italy’s dependence on good relations with China for export sustainability.

Italy is China’s fourth-largest trading partner.

Observers also noted that China will downplay Italy’s exit, adding that Beijing’s primary goal is to stabilize ties with Rome amid geopolitical uncertainties, including those related to the US election and frictions with the EU that some say is leading to a trade war with China.

Still, others questioned the outcomes of the meetings, citing Beijing’s belief that Meloni is not keen on deepening business ties with China.I