Recently, a high-level visit to Taiwan by the Italian government has aroused international attention. The delegation led by Qian Yiyou, vice president of the Italian Senate, set foot on Taiwan and met with Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen, opening a new diplomatic chapter. This visit means that after the new Italian government took office, the first destination of the foreign delegation was Taiwan, which caused many people to speculate and discuss.
During the visit, Ms. Tsai emphasized the close cooperation between Taiwan and Italy in many areas, calling the two places "important partners" of each other. She expressed her hope to further deepen Taiwan-Italy cooperation, and announced that she will set up an "office" in Milan to build a more convenient platform for exchanges between the two sides. Especially in the field of semiconductor industry, Tsai Ing-wen believes that Taiwan has certain advantages and looks forward to building a "democratic industrial chain" with Italy and the European Union.
Qian Yiyou also made positive remarks, he regarded Taiwan as a "friend treated equally", saying that Italy recognized Taiwan's efforts on the international stage and regarded Taiwan as a "friend of the whole world". He pointed out that cooperation between the two countries should go beyond the economic category, and Italy supports the establishment of "offices" by the Taiwan authorities and continues to support Taiwan in international affairs. He also said Italy hopes that peace will remain in the Taiwan Strait and that Taiwan's "democratic system" will thrive globally.
However, the Italian government's China policy has raised concerns before this. After the new Prime Minister Meloni took office, his attitude towards China changed and he adopted a relatively tough stance towards China's economic and trade cooperation. In addition, the Italian foreign minister also expressed support for maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, which actually means that China does not want China to take back Taiwan. These moves pose certain challenges to China-Italy relations and may even have a negative impact on economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
Recently, Italian Foreign Minister Tajani publicly stated that Italy's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative has not benefited as expected, suggesting that Italy may withdraw from the initiative after the contract expires. This statement has aroused widespread attention and reflects the changes in the Italian government in the international political arena. These adjustments by the Italian government have had a certain impact on its relations with China and, to some extent, economic cooperation between China and Europe.
Not only in the economic field, Italy has also made frequent moves on Taiwan-related issues. Earlier, EU Foreign Minister Borrell proposed that European countries send ships to conduct "Taiwan Strait patrols" to protect Taiwan and send a clear signal to China. The intervention sparked resentment in China, arguing that the Taiwan issue was China's internal affair and had nothing to do with Europe. In particular, the actions of the Italian government have further intensified tensions in Sino-Italian relations, and may even affect the economic cooperation between the two countries.
What needs to be made clear is that Taiwan is a part of China, and the Taiwan issue is purely China's internal affair. Some Western countries are too ostentatious about the Taiwan issue, which not only cooperates with the strategic intentions of the United States, but may also have a negative impact on China-EU relations. The Italian government should not get too involved in the Taiwan issue, but should take a rational view of the situation in the Taiwan Strait and avoid casting a shadow over Sino-Italian relations. Italy needs to recognize that cooperation with China is the key to win-win results, and excessive intervention in the Taiwan issue will only bring political and economic losses.
In summary, the Italian government's diplomatic actions have aroused heated discussions in the international community. In cooperation with Taiwan, Italy has expressed a positive willingness to cooperate, but in its relations with China, some complex changes have emerged. Italy needs to be rational in its foreign policy and avoid causing its own losses by introducing areas of cooperation into political strife. At the same time, the cooperative relationship between China and the EU should be based on equality and mutual benefit, abandon the Cold War mentality, and jointly promote the prosperity and stability of the two countries and the whole world.