At the China-Italy Business Forum, Italy's prime minister invited businesses from the two countries to “reflect on the strengths” and the “weak elements” of trade relations, with the aim of making them “increasingly fair and beneficial to all”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to China will open a new chapter in bilateral relations and give a strong impetus to deepening friendship and cooperation between the two countries. Chinese Premier Li Qiang said this on Sunday, July 28, at the opening of talks with Meloni held at the House of People’s Congress in Beijing.
Recalling that in 2024 the two countries will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the strategic partnership, Li expressed “satisfaction with the progress of bilateral exchanges” that are “benefiting” the peoples of Italy and China.
“Over the past 20 years,” Premier Li said, “our two countries have shared a common political vision and continue to strengthen pragmatic cooperation.” According to Premier Li, “China and Italy are two complementary economic forces, and there is no political tension between the two countries.” In this positive context, the talks focused on bilateral relations during the year marked by the twentieth anniversary of the global strategic partnership between Italy and China and the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo’s death. The two heads of government discussed the contribution to “balanced and sustainable development of bilateral trade and mutual investment,” “strengthening scientific and cultural cooperation,” as well as the need to “ensure constructive dialog in all sectors of mutual interest.”
Li called the talks with Meloni “beneficial,” opening up the possibility of renewed cooperation with Italy to promote “the spirit of the ancient Silk Road.” Despite Italy’s decision to withdraw from China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also known as the New Silk Road, the Chinese premier reiterated that China remains open to dialog with Italy and wants to facilitate investment by foreign companies, hoping for a “fair and non-discriminatory” business environment in Rome for its companies.
On Monday, July 29, Meloni will be received by Chinese President Xi Jinping to outline a concrete plan to further develop bilateral relations based on the agreements that resulted from Meloni’s talks with Li Qiang.
On the sidelines of the talks, Italy and China signed a Joint Action Plan aimed at opening a new phase of bilateral partnership, as well as six other agreements, including a memorandum on industrial cooperation. The three-year Action Plan is designed to launch a new phase of the Global Strategic Partnership adopted in 2004. It outlines mechanisms to strengthen and renew cooperation in many areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment, protection of intellectual rights, property and geographical indications, agriculture and food safety, research and training, the environment, culture and tourism, and combating organized crime.
After the talks, Meloni and Li Qiang jointly opened the seventh Italy-China Business Forum. The impressive Italian delegation includes Dario Scannapieco, CEO of the Deposit and Loan Bank (Cassa depositi e prestiti, CDP), and Matteo Zoppas, President of the Agency for Foreign Promotion and Internationalization of Italian Companies (ICE). Confindustria’s Vice President of Export and Investment Attraction Barbara Cimmino brought a group of 35 top executives from companies and business associations to China. On the Chinese side, Ge Haijiao, President of the Bank of China, and Zhang Yujing, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Import-Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, spoke at the forum.
“The long-standing relationship between Italy and China is characterized by a very important economic and commercial cooperation with a strategic dimension that we must continue to develop, primarily in the face of the complex international situation in which we find ourselves,” Meloni said in her speech at the Italy-China Business Forum. Meloni emphasized the importance of analyzing the “strengths” and the “weak elements” of commercial relations in order to make them “increasingly fair and beneficial to all.”