Italy-China economic dialogue relaunched

Italy is seeking to relaunch its economic relations with China, following last year’s announcement of Rome’s withdrawal from China’s New Silk Roads project, which was roundly welcomed in Beijing.

This desire to turn the page quickly was reflected in a series of bilateral meetings this week, including the meeting on 12 April in Verona of Italian Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and the Minister of Commerce of the Republic of China Wang Wentao, as well as the Italy-China Joint Economic Commission (JEC) and bilateral economic forum.

Discussions focused on economic and commercial issues, with concrete projects such as the opening of a direct flight between Venice and Shanghai, and the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games. The issue of protecting commercial traffic in the Red Sea, disrupted by Houthi attacks, was also addressed.

Sensitive political issues – the war in Ukraine, the war in Gaza, the China Sea – were set aside in favor of the symbolic highlighting of the celebration of the 700th anniversary of the death of Marco Polo at the University of Venice Ca’ Foscari, a historical figure whom Antonio Tajani presented as the precursor of the “Italy-China” dialogue.

At the end of the meeting, the leaders pledged to repeat this meeting once a year, and to institute a meeting every six months between the heads of SMEs in the two countries.