(Adnkronos) – Dialogue and multilateral collaboration underpin global stability and economic growth and China can play a “meaningful” role in resolving current international crises including Russia’s occupation of Ukraine and the US-Israel war on Iran, Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani argued on Friday
“Italy’s international action is grounded in a clear principle: global stability and growth are built through dialogue, mutual respect and tangible cooperation among states,” he wrote in an editorial in China Daily.
Tajani is on a two-day visit to Beijing and Shanghai to bolster a 2004 bilateral strategic partnership and underline China’s crucial role in ending the war in Ukraine and the Middle East.
“It is within this framework that my third visit to China as foreign minister is taking place, marking a significant step in revitalising our bilateral strategic partnership,” Tajani continued.
“At a time marked by international crises and conflicts, it is essential to maintain frank and constructive engagement with major global actors,” Tajani went on.
“Dialogue with China goes beyond the bilateral dimension,” he underlined
Italy believes that China can play a “meaningful” role in addressing major international crises, “from the conflict in Ukraine to tensions in the Middle East, including the delicate balance related to the security of the Strait of Hormuz (key shipping route)”, Tajani underlined.
“Alongside the political dimension, the relationship between Italy and China is underpinned by solid and multifaceted economic cooperation,” Tajani stated.
China is a priority market for Italy’s strategy of expanding into high-potential non-EU countries and is currently Italy’s main trading partner in Asia, as well as its second largest among non-European partners, he noted. In 2025, bilateral trade reached nearly 75 billion euros, with growth trends confirmed in first months of this year.
“It is essential to continue along a path towards a more balanced economic relationship, Tajani wrote, noting that Italy will continue working with China to reduce ‘non-tariff’ barriers, especially in the agri-food sector, to strengthen protection of intellectual property and improve the operating environment for foreign companies, including access to public procurement.
Italy considers engagement with China “an essential component of its international action — one that we intend to pursue with balance, clarity and a constructive spirit,” Tajani noted.
