The prospect of Expanding Relations Between Italy & China

2024/08/18 | interview, Politics, top news

Strategic Council Online – Interview: A European-issue researcher said that a three-year agreement was recently signed between Italy and China, and the Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni said she is looking to restore relations with Beijing. Meloni promised to restart cooperation with China during his first visit to Beijing after coming to power. This is even though his government withdrew from China's Belt and Road infrastructure investment plan last year. Therefore, the question is raised: what is Rome's view on cooperation with Beijing, and why does it adopt this approach today?

In an interview with the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations website, Alireza Thamoudi said: “China and Italy have had dynamic economic relations in various fields for a long time, and Italy has been an important partner and player for China. In fact, Beijing was interested in these relations with the aim of having a greater presence in the European trade network. On the other hand, China has become an important market for Italian goods and investments.”

Referring to several important historical moments in Rome-Beijing relations, Thamoudi said: “2020 marked the 50th anniversary of the beginning of diplomatic relations between China and Italy. 2024 is when relations between Rome and Beijing reach the level of global strategic partnership. That is, bilateral relations go beyond bilateral discussions and include larger debates such as the relations between China and the European Union, or, for example, relations between Italy and China in global and multilateral issues or the management of global issues.

This expert explained the importance of Mrs. Meloni’s trip to China: “Firstly, this was her first trip to China since coming to power. On the other hand, due to Italy’s withdrawal from the Belt and Road project, this trip is considered an important development in bilateral relations. Also, the relationship between China and the European Union has changed from a commercial partnership in the past few years to the point that the Europeans see China as a serious competitor. Even NATO has considered it a threat. In this situation, when Europe wants to de-risk its relations with China, this trip becomes doubly important.”

 

He added: “The West, in general, has started a war with China in various areas, especially commercial, which is still ongoing, and therefore, in such a situation, the visit of the Italian Prime Minister is considered important.”

Stating that one of the most important issues in China-Italy relations is Rome’s joining the Belt and Road project, Thamoudi explained: “This project is an ambitious plan by China that started in 2013 and involved various countries. The importance of Italy’s joining is due to the fact that Italy was the first country or the only member of the Group of Seven to join the Belt and Road, and many believed that this action was a political coup in Europe or an attack on Western Europe by China amid the trade war. Therefore, this action was accompanied by criticisms from America and other Western and European countries.”

 

Noting that this memorandum was signed in March 2019, he emphasized that Italy withdrew from this project in December 2023. Also, Italy’s goal in joining the Belt and Road Initiative was to strengthen trade relations, which happened when China was integrated mainly into international institutions.

Thamoudi also said: “When Xi Jinping came to power in China, he implemented several initiatives, and one of the most important projects and plans was the Belt and Road Initiative. From 2015 to 2018, China will be integrated into Western institutions. Still, after the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China, the question of ideology enters China’s foreign policy more than before. After Donald Trump started a trade war against China in 2018, we note that in European documents, China is no longer considered the previous trading partner. It is often mentioned that China is becoming a competitor and eventually a threat.”

He added: “Therefore, Italy will join the Belt and Road Initiative when an international competition is formed to strengthen relations with China, and its purpose was to gain economic benefits from the relationship with China.”

Thamoudi explained: “Of course, at that time, apart from Western countries, there was opposition to this issue within Italy itself, but Italy is still interested in benefiting from Chinese investment. However, there are concerns about the trade war between China and the European Union.

He emphasized: “China’s investment in Italy is a third of Italy’s investment in China, and that is why Italy, considering its economic problems, is trying to fill this gap as soon as possible.

Alireza Thamoudi | Belt and Road project | China | Europe | Giorgio Meloni | Italy | Relations Between Italy & China

https://scfr.ir/en/?p=303134

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