Chinese Premier Li and Italian Prime Minister Meloni pledge to strengthen cooperation

BEIJING – Premier Li Qiang on Sunday called on China and Italy to work together to strengthen dialogue at various levels and promote optimized and balanced bilateral trade, in a bid to foster a more mature and stable relationship.

The two countries should enhance cooperation in areas such as shipbuilding, aerospace, new energy and artificial intelligence, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises, Li said during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

On Saturday, Meloni began her first visit to China since taking office in October 2022. Her aim is to stabilize Italy’s relations with its strong economic partner.

Her five-day visit comes months after Italy withdrew from the Belt and Road Initiative late last year, becoming the only Group of Seven member to sign a BRI cooperation document with China.

Following their talks on Sunday, Li and Meloni witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation agreements in areas including industry, education and environmental protection.

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Italy is China’s fourth largest trading partner in the European Union, while China is Italy’s largest trading partner in Asia.

Li said China supports its enterprises in cooperation in the European country and hopes that Italy will create a fair, safe and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises.

He called on both sides to promote people-to-people exchanges and in particular to jointly organize a series of activities to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the death of Marco Polo, a legendary Italian explorer who is seen as a symbol of the historical ties between the two countries.

Li also expressed the hope that the EU will view China’s development rationally, see Beijing as a partner and promote dialogue and cooperation.

China and the EU have been locked in trade tensions since the group’s decision earlier this month to impose provisional tariffs of up to 37.6 percent on electric vehicles imported from China.

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Meloni said Italy is ready to play a positive role in helping to stabilize EU-China relations. Rome is committed to developing a long-term, stable and healthy relationship with Beijing, and is willing to explore new forms of cooperation, she said.

Li and Meloni also attended the opening ceremony of the 7th meeting of the China-Italy Business Committee on Sunday.

The meeting was attended by more than 150 entrepreneurs from both parties, including Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli, energy company ENI and defense group Leonardo, as well as wine producers and luxury fashion companies.

Li told business leaders that the continued development of the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership will bring more stable expectations, broader opportunities and more abundant resources for bilateral trade cooperation.

He called on both sides to support their companies in exploiting the opportunities of cooperation in smart manufacturing, new energy and biomedical technology.

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Li stressed that China will always remain open to businesses from all countries and is committed to creating an institutional environment that is transparent, stable and predictable.

Beijing will further facilitate market access and ensure equal treatment for foreign and domestic enterprises, which should provide more support and convenience to foreign companies investing and operating in China, he said.

Li expressed the hope that Chinese and Italian entrepreneurs will expand their shared interests and strengthen friendly cooperation between the two countries.

On Sunday, Li also met East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta.

Li said China aims to strengthen cooperation with the island country on infrastructure and connectivity within the framework of the BRI and expand cooperation in a wider range of areas including agriculture, fisheries, poverty alleviation and tourism.