Meloni’s China Visit: A Mixed Agenda of Pragmatism and Political Signals
Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, will likely leave China with a sense that Beijing is embracing pragmatism over resentment. The right‑wing government is seeking to strengthen bilateral ties, to relaunch cooperation, in her first official trip to China. Across five days of diplomacy, the visit carries a weightier message than usual: a response to Italy’s decision to withdraw from the Belt and Road Initiative, a colossal project associated with the Chinese presidency.
In the opening exchanges, good will and frictions surfaced alike. After a meeting with premier Li Qiang, a three‑year plan emerged to advance existing agreements and explore new fields of cooperation such as shipbuilding, green energy, artificial intelligence, and the aerospace sector. Meloni described the move as a sign of Italy’s readiness to enter a new phase of collaboration. Li spoke of creating a fair, non‑discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies within Italy, as the two leaders acknowledged the current larger imbalance in trade that benefits China.
Italy has defended tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles at the European level, aligning with a tougher European stance that argues for strategic distancing from Beijing in key sectors. Yet the Italian delegation has also signed a cooperation framework with China on electric vehicles and renewable energy, arguing that China leads in these areas and is willing to share its know‑how with its partners.
Brussels’ Punishment and the European Dilemma
These are the sectors that Brussels and Washington scrutinize the most when evaluating China’s role in Europe’s urgent energy transition. In this context, Stellantis, the owner of Fiat, announced a joint venture with Leapmotor, a Chinese startup, to market electric vehicles in Europe.
In 2019, some Italian media referred to Xi Jinping as “the godfather of Rome” during the period when Italy joined the Belt and Road Initiative, a package of infrastructure and trade projects that extended into Eastern Europe and the Balkans. That moment underscored how deeply intertwined Rome and Beijing had become at the time. The current arrival and departure of this initiative demonstrates the delicate balance Italy must strike as it navigates relations with a rising China while upholding its own strategic and economic interests.
The encounter was for Meloni a milestone in diplomacy, and its tentative departure marked a moment of relief for Brussels and Washington, who have urged Western partners to diversify and safeguard their access to critical technologies and markets. The dialogue reflects the ongoing friction: Meloni has long criticized the selective practices of China in trade, and her government has been outspoken about the need for reciprocal terms when it comes to access for European firms operating in China.
The regional press has not shied away from summarizing the tensions. While some outlets describe Meloni as pursuing a pragmatic rapprochement, others frame the visit as a test of Italy’s willingness to engage with a superpower seen by many in the West as a strategic competitor. Across the board, the emphasis remains on cooperation in sectors such as electric vehicles and renewable energy, paired with a clear insistence on fair competition and on protecting European interests against perceived dependence.
Historically, Meloni has not concealed her skepticism toward Beijing’s commercial practices. Her earlier stance as a government minister included calls for boycotts tied to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and calls for a tougher line on state influence in European markets. In office, she has maintained a cautious balance: engaging on common interests while not shying away from critiquing practices that she views as problematic for Europe. The conversations during this visit therefore unfold against a backdrop of strategic caution, reflecting a larger negotiation about Europe’s posture toward China in a time of global economic restructuring.
The broader regional view cautions that frictions with China are not new, nor are they easily resolved. The current exchange demonstrates that while partnership opportunities exist in technologies and sustainable energy, there is a parallel and persistent insistence on transparent markets, reciprocal access, and the safeguarding of European industrial leadership. Some observers see this as a necessary clarification of terms in a relationship that has grown complex and intertwined over years of diplomatic and commercial engagement. Different voices within Europe weigh how deeply to align with the United States and how far to pursue strategic autonomy in dealings with Beijing, a debate that this visit clearly accelerates.
With Italy at the center of this dynamic, the question remains how much the visit will alter the trajectory of European policy toward China. The joint statements on cooperation in technology and energy signal a shared interest in advancing practical outcomes. Yet behind the rhetoric looms a broader strategic calculus: balancing economic opportunity with political and security considerations in a rapidly shifting global order. As Meloni’s trip unfolds, observers will be looking for concrete results that demonstrate how far Europe is willing to go to maintain independence while still engaging with a rising power that continues to shape the global landscape.
In the end, the trip is less about immediate breakthroughs and more about signaling intent—an intent to work with Beijing when it serves European interests, and to push back when terms are unfavorable. The outcome will likely be judged not by a single scorecard but by a series of modest gains in cooperation that fit into a broader framework of strategic alignment and economic resilience. Attribution: reports from European capitals and credible media analyses.