Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Photo: VCG

The Italian government has sent signals about further promoting the development of China-Italy economic and trade cooperation, garnering great attention. In light of the trade dispute between China and the EU regarding tariffs on electric vehicles, any step taken toward pragmatic communication is commendable and valuable.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will pay an official visit to China from July 27 to 31, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Thursday. Improving trade with China will be high on her agenda, according to a Reuters report.

Also, according to a statement by Italy's finance ministry, the G7 has warned against "unilateral actions" that might undermine global trade and highlighted the need to protect international commerce, "particularly given China's enormous industrial capacity, including in sectors of strategic importance," Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

The development is a welcome signal of Italy's commitment to maintaining and enhancing economic and trade relations with China, reflecting its pragmatic foreign policy and economic strategy in the era of globalization and underscoring its recognition of the importance of the China-Italy economic relationship.

The bilateral economic and trade partnership has been of great significance to both nations. The complementary nature of their economic structures and industrial strengths has created ample opportunities for collaboration. Italy's manufacturing, design and innovation capabilities, when combined with China's manufacturing scale and market potential, have the potential to generate substantial synergies and drive economic development and industrial upgrading in both nations.

Nevertheless, amid the current challenges in China-EU economic and trade relations, Italy, along with other EU countries, faces its own complexities in navigating its economic and trade policies toward China. These complexities primarily revolve around striking a balance between domestic industry interests and international cooperation. The quest for a balance is not just an economic issue, but also a process of coordination and communication.

The challenges and conflicts faced by the EU in its China policy are a complicated issue in the current international political and economic landscape. The EU aims to protect its industries to safeguard the economic interests of its member states, decrease economic reliance on China in global industrial and supply chains, and foster economic growth and social development. Balancing these conflicting objectives means that the EU must meticulously coordinate various interests and strive for the best policy approach. 

Nevertheless, the EU's economic progress cannot be disentangled from that of China. In numerous industrial sectors, trade and economic collaboration with China is advantageous for the EU. As a global manufacturing powerhouse, China possesses significant advantages in many strategically crucial areas. Collaboration between the EU and China facilitates the enhancement and transformation of EU industries and offers more market opportunities and scope for development for EU companies.

This is the reason why the EU's current policy toward China is encountering divisions and facing a dilemma, with different views among its member states due to different interests. Addressing this challenge necessitates meticulous and thorough coordination between China and the EU to identify shared interests and areas for cooperation. At the same time, the EU must refrain from implementing trade barriers that squeeze China out of industrial chains and supply chains, and instead uphold a fair and transparent international trade environment.

In this context, the importance of maintaining continuous communication and coordination between China and EU countries like Italy cannot be overstated. Despite any differences that may exist between China and the EU, it is crucial to minimize their impact on the development of China-Italy economic relations through strengthening communication, removing trade barriers, promoting technical exchanges and cooperating on investment. 

It is our sincere hope that bilateral efforts to promote trade will lead to the discovery of more cooperation and win-win opportunities between China and the EU, which will be conducive to alleviating trade tensions.