Meloni in China to mend relations after the Silk Road rift
There is no official date on the calendar yet. However, we know that Giorgia Meloni will make a state trip to China by the end of the month. Its objective? Twofold. On the one hand, the Italian government will try to Strengthen the China-Italy Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Transforming, in fact, the agreement signed 20 years ago into the preferred platform for dialogue between the two countries.
On the other, Meloni will try to replace the New Silk Road memorandumnot renewed, with an industrial memorandum of some kind. Where the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy and the Chinese Ministry of Technology should be involved. It is certain that the Italian Prime Minister will have to move on treacherous ground. And for at least three reasons. First of all because Beijing has been stung by Rome’s exit from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The Dragon has therefore hinted that it wants to focus mainly on other European countries to manage its relations with Brussels (France and Germany). And, finally, last but not least, it is worth remembering the diplomatic/communicative errors of the Meloni government. Which could weigh heavily, and not a little, in the negotiation phase.
Meloni and China: How can we forget the Silk Road?
Meloni is expected to land in Beijing in the next few days. She will meet the Chinese president Xi Jinping – who had invited her in 2020, without receiving a response – and the Prime Minister Li Qiang. It also seems that a business forum will be planned during which the parties will try to rebalance bilateral economic relations. Or rather: Italy will try to make its Chinese partner forget the exit from the Silk Road and to tear up the Action Plan for Strengthening the Global Strategic Partnership 2024-2026. But be careful, because there are still distances on at least one issue that has yet to be resolved. While it is true that negotiations on the document have concluded, the discussion on a specific point is still open.
China has asked to include in the text a key reference to the “spirit of the Silk Road”, presumably to let the whole world know that Italy, in some way, is still tied to Xi’s project. Rome, however, would prefer to bury any reference to the BRI under long historical and cultural periphrases, flaunting the role played by the Italian nation in the “centuries-old relations between the West and the East”.
The industrial dossier and diplomatic issues. Towards agreements in the automotive sector?
The other dossier concerns industrial collaboration between the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy and the Chinese Ministry of Technology. Unconfirmed rumors also speak of possible signatures on agreements relating to cooperation in the education sector, food safety and environmental protection. But these should be details compared to the four other preliminary agreements on the table between the ministry led by Adolfo Urso and four Chinese companies: Ccig, Jac Motors and Chery, active in the automotive sector, and Ming Yang, a global leader in the wind sector.
Could it be a coincidence that Urso, during his visit to China – which took place from 4 to 6 July – met the representatives of these four companies? In the event of white smoke, these agreements should be preparatory to the finalization of Chinese investment projects in Italy. It remains to be seen, while waiting for the resolution of the puzzle on the “spirit of the Silk Road” and the signing of the other agreements, what China will choose to do. Italy certainly has a significant advantage in attracting Chinese investments and smoothing out economic relations with the Asian giant.
But what would Beijing have to gain by making such concessions to Italy? There would be the international image to polish up, the advantage of possibly allowing some companies to operate in Europe bypassing duties and controversiesThe fact remains that the Meloni government, over the last few years, has strung together a number of positions that Beijing considers authentic “diplomatic gaffes”.
Which ones? The aforementioned exit from the BRI, the use of the Golden Power to prevent some Chinese investments (but the request to attract others), the excessive rapprochement with the United States, the positions taken on the war in Ukraine, the closeness expressed – through various high officials and parliamentarians – to Taiwan… In short, There is no shortage of skeletons in the closet that Meloni will have to hide from Xi’s eyes – or at least try to embellish – if it wants to bring home significant deals.
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