Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sought greater cooperation with Italy during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as the two countries are both end points of the historic Silk Road trade route.
BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Monday and called for greater cooperation with Italy, saying the two countries are end points of the historic Silk Road trade route.
Meloni in December withdrew Italy from China’s Belt and Road Initiative, named after an ancient overland trade route, but on Sunday signed an agreement setting out a new way for the two countries to cooperate on trade and other issues.
Meloni is on a five-day state visit and is his first visit to China as prime minister.
One of President Xi Jinping’s signature policies, the Belt and Road Initiative, aims to build power and transport infrastructure around the world to stimulate global trade and deepen ties between China and other countries.
“China and Italy are located at two ends of the ancient Silk Road,” Xi told Meloni. “The long-standing friendly exchanges between the two countries have made important contributions to the exchange and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations, and to the development and progress of mankind.”
“When countries are interconnected, they advance; when they are closed off from each other, they retreat,” Xi said.
Meloni said Italy could play a “key role” in building a balanced trade relationship between China and the European Union. The EU imposed provisional tariffs of up to 37.6% on Chinese-made electric cars in early July. China’s support for Russia after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has further strained relations with the EU.
She also noted China’s role as a diplomatic power on the global stage. “There is growing unrest at the international level and I think China will inevitably be a very important negotiating partner in addressing these developments,” Meloni said.
