As part of his visit to the Middle Kingdom, Italian president Sergio Mattarella will meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping to discuss the renewal of Sino-Italian relations in light of the emerging global balance of power. This discussion is a great opportunity to soften any potential Chinese retaliation given Italy’s withdrawal from the Belt and Road initiative. The state visit to Bejing by Mattarella adds up to the first mission by Premier Meloni in July, with these initiatives being interpreted by China as a way to improve relations with the whole EU.
A big problem for the Italian diplomatic efforts in this regard comes from Brussels’ confrontational stance in trade-related subjects, like the high tariffs imposed on Chinese electric vehicles. Mattarella might want to discuss with Xi about international governance with a more active participation by emerging economies – the so-called “global south”- and less Western unilateralism.
Although diverging on the war in Ukraine- with Beijing actively supporting Russia- Italy understands the potential weight that Chinese mediation could have in reaching a peace deal in Eastern Europe. Moreover, this meeting serves as a way to re-define trade relations between the two parties, given the big trade-deficit held by Italy with respect to China.
Today’s reunion can open new opportunities of mutual understanding between China and Italy. In light of the recent re-election of Donald Trump in the United States – and the potential instability it may introduce – multilateral and negotiated approaches to resolving international disagreements are more crucial than ever.
Author: Luis Cabezas