Ms Meloni described her journey as “demonstrating a willingness to begin a brand new section and relaunch our bilateral cooperation”.
She additionally stated the 2 international locations signed an settlement geared toward strengthening cooperation on electrical autos and renewable vitality.
In a press release launched by his workplace, Prime Minister Lee stated the 2 international locations aimed to strengthen “mutually useful cooperation amongst small and medium-sized enterprises in fields corresponding to shipbuilding, aerospace, new vitality, and synthetic intelligence.”
Italy is the one main Western nation to enroll to the Belt and Highway Initiative, one among China’s most bold commerce and infrastructure initiatives.
The transfer was severely criticized by america and another main Western international locations on the time.
Since taking workplace in 2022, Ms. Meloni has pursued a extra pro-Western and pro-NATO international coverage than her predecessor.
Earlier than withdrawing from the BRI, Ms Meloni described the earlier authorities’s choice to affix the BRI as “a severe mistake”.
“Each nation [BRI] Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for the Asia-Pacific area of the funding financial institution, stated: “Member states know that China is primary and they’re quantity two. I do not suppose Italy is a member of the G7. Wish to be put in the identical class as Russia, Pakistan or Sri Lanka.
“If there have been no Belt and Highway Initiative [membership] Meloni will come to China with a special stage of involvement – much less as a vassal and extra as a associate,” she added.
Beneath the management of Ms. Meloni, Italy has moved to dam a Chinese language state-owned firm’s takeover of tire-making big Pirelli.
Rome additionally helps the European Fee’s latest imposition of tariffs of as much as 37.6% on electrical automobile imports from China.
Final yr, two-way commerce between the 2 international locations reached 66.8 billion euros (56.3 billion kilos), making China Italy’s largest non-EU buying and selling associate after america.
