Italy PM Meloni pledges to ‘revitalize’ ties with China.

Italian Prime Minister, Ms Meloni, recently embarked on a trip to China to strengthen bilateral cooperation and kickstart a new phase of collaboration. During the visit, an agreement was signed to enhance cooperation in electric vehicles and renewable energy. Premier Li expressed a shared goal of fostering mutually beneficial partnerships in various industries such as shipbuilding, aerospace, new energy, and artificial intelligence.

Italy’s decision to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has sparked controversy, drawing criticism from the US and other Western nations. Despite this, under Meloni’s leadership, Italy has shifted towards a more pro-Western stance, withdrawing from the BRI and taking steps to limit Chinese influence in key sectors like the acquisition of Pirelli by a state-owned Chinese company.

Furthermore, Italy has shown support for the European Commission’s decision to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports. The trade between Italy and China has flourished, with bilateral trade reaching 66.8 billion euros last year, solidifying China as Italy’s largest non-EU trading partner after the US.