Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has begun her first official visit to China, aiming to strengthen bilateral relations and boost economic cooperation.
During her five-day trip, Meloni met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and signed a three-year plan to enhance economic ties between the two nations.
This move comes after Italy withdrew from China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) last year, citing a lack of benefits.
Meloni described the visit as an opportunity to “relaunch” cooperation between Italy and China, with a focus on areas like electric vehicles, renewable energy, and small and medium-sized enterprises.
The two countries aim to increase mutually beneficial cooperation in fields such as shipbuilding, aerospace, and artificial intelligence.
Italy’s decision to withdraw from the BRI was seen as a shift towards a more pro-Western and pro-NATO foreign policy under Meloni’s leadership.
Despite this, China remains Italy’s largest non-EU trading partner, with two-way trade reaching 66.8 billion euros last year.
The visit marks a new phase in Italy-China relations, with Meloni seeking to engage with China as a partner rather than a junior member of the BRI.
