Beijing's support for Russia's war in Ukraine is a source of "great friction", said the Italian Prime Minister Meloni during her official five-day visit to China.
ADVERTISEMENTChina's economic support for Russia's war effort against Ukraine is a source of "great friction," said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during her official visit to China this week.
Beijing, an ally of Moscow, has been accused by NATO of playing "a decisive" role in the Ukrainian conflict. It does not supply Moscow with arms, but it does provide it with essential equipment for its war effort.
According to official figures, bilateral trade between Russia and China climbed to around €240 billion last year.
Meloni said Beijing could become a "key player" in helping to put an end to the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war. China, which has never condemned the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, says it is neutral in this conflict.
Meloni also said Italy could play an “important role” in China's relationship with the European Union and creating balanced trade relationships.
The EU imposed provisional tariffs of up to 37.6% on China-made electric vehicles in early July. China's support for Russia after it invaded 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 insecurity at the international level, and I think that China is inevitably a very important interlocutor to deal with all these dynamics,” said Meloni.
Italy and China hand in hand
During the official trip, Italy and China signed a three-year action plan on Sunday to implement past agreements and experiment with new forms of cooperation.
Meloni is trying to reset relations with China as fears of a trade war with the European Union are interwoven with continued interest in attracting Chinese investment in auto manufacturing and other sectors.
“We certainly have a lot of work to do, and I am convinced that this work can be useful in such a complex phase on a global level, and also important at a multilateral level,” she said in remarks at the start of a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
Her five-day visit comes several months after Italy dropped out of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a signature policy of Chinese leader Xi Jinping to build power and transportation infrastructure around the world to stimulate global trade while also deepening China’s ties with other nations.
“China and Italy are located at opposite ends of the ancient Silk Road,” Xi told Meloni, “and the long-standing friendly exchanges between the two countries have made important contributions to the exchange and mutual learning of Eastern and Western civilizations, as well as human development and progress.”
“If countries are inter-connected, they will advance; if they are close to each other, they will retreat,” said Xi.