Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni aimed to open a new chapter in bilateral relations during her official visit to China between 27-31 July 2024. Calling for cooperation, especially in areas such as new energy products and other green technologies, Meloni and her team stated that they aimed to eliminate misunderstandings regarding the withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative in 2023 and enhance cooperation with China.
Like previous German and French leaders, Prime Minister Meloni’s visit to China has attracted attention. Meloni became the first European leader to visit China since the end of the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. It appears that European countries are attempting to give a new direction to their China policies.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang held a welcoming ceremony for Meloni at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sunday afternoon, and the parties engaged in discussions following the ceremony. The parties have also signed numerous bilateral cooperation agreements covering industries, education and environmental protection. Meloni’s visit is seen as a good opportunity not only to stabilize and promote cooperation between China and Italy but also to enhance China-Europe relations as a whole and address differences.
Nevertheless, during a period when European actors such as Italy, Germany, France, and the UK are actively implementing risk-averse strategies against China’s Belt and Road Initiative projects, it is wondered whether the Italian government will show sufficient sincerity in cooperation with China. Europe’s recent imposition of new tariffs, especially on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EV), points to strategies such as double standards, protectionism and risk aversion.
Meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing, Meloni stated that China is a “key interlocutor” in managing global tensions.[i] Chinese President Xi Jinping praised the “long-standing friendly” ties and “tolerance, mutual trust and mutual respect” between Beijing and Rome. Italy’s efforts to overcome the trust issues in Europe’s relations with China are notable. The visit is said to aim at “restarting” the relationship, or “resetting” it. Due to increasing distrust at the international level, it is becoming difficult for states to view each other with a win-win approach. In this context, Meloni said that the two countries should “think together” to maintain stability and guarantee peace.
The two leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the increasing tensions in the Indo-Pacific. Xi called for opening a new chapter in East-West relations and continuation of the Silk Road spirit. Indeed, Italy was the only major Western country to sign onto China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a move that was heavily criticized by the U.S. and other major Western countries at the time. Since coming to power in 2022, Meloni has pursued a more pro-Western foreign policy compared to her predecessors and had described the previous government’s decision to join the Belt and Road Initiative as a “serious mistake.”
Is Europe’s Perspective on China’s Belt and Road Initiative Changing?
On October 17-18, 2023, Beijing, China, hosted the “3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.” This event was attended by high-level leaders and government representatives from around the world. The first of these forums was held in 2017 and the second in 2019. The changes in the number of countries officially participating in the forum in recent years are notable. Currently, more than 200 Belt and Road cooperation agreements have been signed with over 150 countries across five different continents and 30 international organizations.[ii]
Despite the war in Ukraine, Western European countries have almost unanimously chosen not to attend the forum due to China’s continued ties with Russia. Leaders from Czechia, Greece, and Italy attended the first two Belt and Road Forums but did not attend the most recent one in Beijing. The only leader from the European Union (EU) member countries who attended the 3rd Belt and Road Forum was Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Hungary has participated in all Belt and Road Forums to date. In general, China has difficulty dispelling misunderstandings and concerns about the Belt and Road Initiative in Western Europe. The absence of European leaders at the forum in 2023 revealed the West’s increasing skepticism towards Beijing.
As a result, Italy is trying to reorganize its economic and commercial relations with China after leaving the Belt and Road Initiative. Achieving alignment in the European Union’s China policies does not seem likely in the short to medium term. The continued diplomatic engagement of leaders from Germany, France, and Italy with China reflects ongoing efforts to achieve coherence in these policies. Taking a stance more compatible with the EU’s general policies and strategies could also affect Italy’s role and relations within the EU.
[i] “Meloni meets Xi as Italy vows to ‘relaunch’ ties with China”, BBC, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz5rjjvvzlzo, (Date of Access: 30.07.2024).
[ii] “China’s Belt and Road Initiative Enters Its Second Decade: Which Leaders Went to Beijing to Celebrate with Xi Jinping?”, CFR, https://www.cfr.org/blog/chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-enters-its-second-decade-which-leaders-went-beijing-celebrate, (Date of Access: 30.07.2024).
