Beijing sent the powerful man of diplomacy to Europe. Former Chinese foreign minister and recently appointed head of diplomacy of the Chinese Communist Party, Wang Yi began his European tour before the start of the Munich Security Conference in Germany (where he could meet with the canceling Foreign Minister Use Antony Blinken). his trip to China after the spy balloon case).
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Expected in France, Italy (February 16 and 17), Hungary and Russia “at the invitation of the governments” of the four countries, Wang will demonstrate his diplomatic skills to recalibrate the delicate relationship with the European Union. In the background is the Russian war in Ukraine, which has never been condemned by China, days after the first anniversary of the outbreak of the conflict.
“No Leaving China”
Wang was tasked with reiterating Xi Jinping’s commitment to China’s “peaceful development”. The commitment has already been promoted during a visit to France yesterday, February 15, with President Emmanuel Macron, who has not concealed the hope that Beijing, which remains an important aspect of Moscow and does not condemn the invasion of Ukraine, will press for Russia’s return. negotiating table A ceasefire is also the desire of China, which sees France as a large and independent country in its efforts to resolve the crisis. The head of CCP diplomacy then lifted the veil on economic issues and urged Macron – according to Chinese media reports – to refrain from breaking away from China, thereby strengthening economic cooperation.
In Paris as in Rome, the task of the high diplomat seems complicated on several fronts. On the Ukrainian front, China appears without significant changes in its vision for the conflict: Beijing has declared its support for negotiations to end the war, but has hardened its stance against the United States, which has recently been criticized for selling weapons to the United States. Kyiv. Concerned with the suspicion of military aid to Beijing and Russia, fears have also been raised by the G7 member states, which will consider sanctions against Chinese, Iranian and North Korean groups believed to have provided assistance to Russia in the war. China is ready to implement “all necessary measures” to protect the “rights and interests” of its companies.
Pressure on Tajani for the New Silk Road
The spotlight is primarily on the resurgence of fears of Chinese espionage after the case of the spy balloon dropped over the airspace by the US. This issue will also be discussed in the meeting between Wang and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani (the meeting will be held today in Farnesina on the evening of February 16. Then Wang will meet with President Sergio Mattarella tomorrow, February 17, in Quirinale).
This will not be the first meeting between the heads of diplomacy of the two countries: Farnesina’s president and the then Chinese foreign minister spoke by phone on the sidelines of the G20 last November, a few days after the meeting. Bali is between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The most difficult question mark in bilateral relations continues to be the question mark related to the Silk Road. Last November, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the third forum this year dedicated to the Belt and Road initiative, which he launched in 2013. Some doubts remain about the future of Italy’s participation in the Beijing initiative signed in Rome in 2019, offset by China’s role as Italy’s largest trading partner in Asia.
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With the new manager led by Giorgia Meloni, Rome put the decision to exit Xi Jinping’s coveted megaproject on hold. The Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 will expire in the spring of 2024. But devotion to the text is non-binding and cannot boast of having produced great results for Italy so far.
According to an unconfirmed rumor posted online by Intelligence, Prime Minister Meloni, who may travel to China in the spring during the Third Forum on the Silk Road, reviewed her stance towards the Asian giant. The nationalist sitting in Palazzo Chigi seems to have changed his mind from an initially anti-Chinese turn: The imperative now is to maintain good relations with China. Italian Foreign Minister Tajani, who would like to have a “360 degree discussion” with Wang on issues related to the war in Ukraine and the Chinese infrastructure project, is in line. Tajani commented that the deal in Via della Seta “because there are other emergencies and emergencies”.
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But China is aiming for a new signature. Jia Guide, the new ambassador of China in Rome, stated in an interview with Ansa that he hoped for the renewal of the agreement between Rome and Beijing in the last days, noting that the bilateral trade between the two continued despite the obstacles of the pandemic in the last three years. The countries “set new records by reaching $77.88 billion in 2022, placing Rome at the forefront among European countries that have trade relations with China”.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
