Source: Bloomberg
Chiara Albanese
The increasingly deepening Sino -US game has been involved in another country, and Italian Prime Minister Meloni is trying to change the close connection between China and Italy.
According to people familiar with the matter, Meloni, a right -wing leader who came to power for less than a year, tended to withdraw from China's "Belt and Road" initiative.According to Bloomberg News, Italian officials put forward the possibility of exiting the "Belt and Road" in talks with Taiwan this week.
Italy's attitude towards China to China will hinder the effects of China trying to differentiate Europe and the United States, and it has also caused Italy and the European Union to be placed in a delicate position between the two superpowers of China and the United States.
embarrassment
Francesca Ghiretti, an analyst at the German Makato China Research Center, said in an interview that "Italy is now in an awkward situation, how to deal with the" Belt and Road "agreement is a real diplomatic problem for Melonini. Renewal will be renewed.Makes Washington very unhappy, but if it does not continue, it will cause the relationship with China to fall into tension. "
With the deterioration of Sino -US relations, Beijing hopes to prevent Europe and the United States from connecting to a front line, especially in export control for key technologies.On the one hand, Europe wants to interact with China in terms of trade and investment, and on the other hand, it is difficult to take care of the pressure of economic coercion. These two problems are difficult to take into account.
The recent encounter of French President Macron also reflects the dilemma facing Europe from another aspect. Macron hopes that China will help to promote peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.Worried that his approach might weaken European unity.
People familiar with the matter revealed that Italy's dilemma in the "Belt and Road" also attracted the attention of the US government.For the United States and other countries, this will test whether Melonney has the ability to put a pro -American stand in action.
In a speech published in Washington on Thursday, US Treasury Secretary Jennite Yellen said that for the national security interests that were not threatened by China, the Bayeng government was willing to bear the economic price.
Italy is the only member country (G7), a member of the Seventh -way Group (G7), who participates in the “Belt and Road” initiative.Although the agreement signed by the Confed government in 2019 does not make Italian relations with China more affinity than other EU countries, but if the Melony government withdraws from the "Belt and Road", it has a great relationship in diplomacy and economy.It may lead to revenge in Beijing.
Mainland China and Taiwan are important Italian trading partners.Italy is the third largest importer of Chinese commodities in the European Union and the fourth largest exporter to China.Mainland China is a key export destination in the Italian luxury industry, which is vital to this industry.
Taiwan's representative office in Italy stated that Taiwan plans to invest about $ 400 million in the Italian chip industry.Last Friday, the Italian Industrial Minister Adolfo Urso confirmed Bloomberg's report, saying that his officials discussed the plan to strengthen the semiconductor cooperation in the non -public talks with Taipei.URSO also revealed that this visit is mainly technical, which shows that Italy is trying to separate the two lines of economy and diplomacy as much as possible.
Cai Yunzhong, the head of the Taiwan representative office in Italy, said in an interview that in terms of semiconductors, it has some strategic advantages, manufacturing capabilities and research and development compared with other EU countries.
Cai Yunzhong said that the trade of Italy and Taiwan increased 13%last year. Taiwan's representative office in Italy plans to set up a new office in Milan later to further promote trade.
People familiar with the matter said that Melonney hopes to issue a formal statement on Italy's position on the "Belt and Road" before the G-7 summit in May this year, but it turns out that for her governing alliance, the choice plan isDifficulty is greater than expected.The internal party of the Italian government is not united. Most of the Italian Brothers' Party where Melonony is located in favor of the abandonment agreement, while others have pushed the retaining agreement.
People familiar with the matter revealed that Melonini has not yet officially responded to Xi Jinping's invitation to her visit to China because Italy is still studying how to restrict the impact of the relationship between China without renewing the "Belt and Road" agreement.
Ghiretti said, "The government seems to tend to do not renew the agreement, but in this case, coordinating with the United States and other allies to respond to China that may be possible to respond to China."
