Italy became the first G7 country to sign on to the initiative in 2019 when the populist, anti-establishment Five Star Movement party-led government promoted it as a way of increasing trade with China while getting investments in major infrastructure projects. Neither appeared.[INSERT "WUHAN FLU" 2020-2022 PANDEMIC] In the intervening years, Italy's trade deficit with China has ballooned from €20bn to €48bn and investments in Italian ports that were trumpeted in newspaper headlines were never achieved. Meloni, in opposition at the time, was against the deal from the start. Her foreign minister, Antonio Tajani [!], said this summer that Italy had not "obtained great results" from the pact.

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Li Qiang and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Jointly Attend the Opening Ceremony of the Seventh Meeting of the Seventh China-Italy Entrepreneurs Committee, 28 July

Li Qiang called on the two countries to vigorously promote and practice the Silk Road spirit of peace and co-operation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit, keep the enthusiasm of reaching out to each other, adhere to the principle of mutual benefit, nurture an attitude of helping each other succeed, continue to support each other's development, and work together to achieve common prosperity.
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Giorgia Meloni said that in the face of the current complex and volatile global situation, Italy and China should strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership, give full play to complementary advantages and strengthen economic and trade cooperation. Italy is ready to expand practical co-operation with China in economy, trade, investment, artificial intelligence and other fields on the basis of mutual respect and trust, fairness and mutual benefit, create new cooperation models, unleash cooperation potential, enhance the competitiveness of enterprises, and jointly address global challenges.

ChatGPT | Italy's Meloni vows to 'relaunch' relations with China(29.07.24)
Later on Sunday, the two leaders attended an Italy-China business forum where they announced six new agreements. "The Memorandum of Industrial Cooperation that we have signed is a significant step," Meloni said at the forum. Meloni met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday. During their talks, the two leaders discussed global governance issues of common interest, including AI, climate change, and the reform on the United Nations Security Council, the Italian government said in a statement.