BEIJING, July 29 – Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni has vowed to “relaunch” relations with China as she began her first visit to Beijing since taking office, according to BBC.
Ms Meloni met Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the beginning of her five-day trip and signed a three-year plan to strengthen economic cooperation between the two nations.
It comes after Ms Meloni last year removed her country from President Xi Jinpng’s signature Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
At the time, Rome said the massive Chinese investment scheme had failed to bring any benefits to Italy.
Ms Meloni described her trip as a “demonstration of the will to begin a new phase, to relaunch our bilateral cooperation”.
She also said the two countries have signed an agreement that aims to boost cooperation on electric vehicles and renewable energy.
Italy was the only major Western nation to sign up to the BRI, one of China’s most ambitious trade and infrastructure projects.
The move was heavily criticised at the time by the US and some other major Western countries.
Before withdrawing from the BRI, Ms Meloni had described the former government’s decision to join it as “a serious mistake”.
