Italy, which announced its withdrawal from the "Belt and Road", regretted it!
On the occasion of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's visit to China, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni posted remarks flattering China on social platforms, and her regret was overflowing.
"I hope to maintain economic and trade relations between the two countries", "reopen dialogue with China", "preparations are underway for a trip to Beijing", etc.
It can be seen that Georgia Meloni is on the charm offensive and competing with Germany for favor.
But if you know today, why bother in the first place?
In 2019, then-Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a five-year Belt and Road Initiative agreement with the mainland in order to boost the country's sluggish economy, making Italy the only country in the G7 to join China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Because of its special nature, the Belt and Road Initiative is so much for Italy that it does not not have to pay any dues, but it also does not force any responsibility.
Since the signing of the initiative between China and Italy, Italy has reaped tangible benefits and has achieved fruitful results in the fields of economy and trade, industrial manufacturing, and clean energy.
What's more, this benefit is valid for a long time, and as long as Italy withdraws without notice before the end of 2023, the country's membership can also be automatically extended in March this year.
The two sides should have further tapped the potential of cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and strengthened mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, but the signing of the agreement between Italy and China has aroused strong opposition from many major Western countries due to ideological and other considerations.
On December 8, 2023, the new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni finally couldn't withstand the pressure of the United States and Western countries and did something that had no credibility.
Meloni declared that the previous government's decision to join the Belt and Road Initiative was a "serious mistake" and said that Italy would stop participating in the Belt and Road Initiative by the end of 2023.
Italy just uses the "Belt and Road" as a spare tire, and in order to show loyalty to the United States, while asking for the initiative to withdraw from the "Belt and Road" initiative, it also stabs China in the back.
Why did Italy choose to withdraw at that time?
On the one hand, it is driven by political interests.
Italy's announcement of its withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative during the EU-China summit has obvious political intentions, mainly to show its "solidarity" with Western countries in dealing with China's problems, and completely ignoring China's feelings.
Previously, the Italian government thought that joining the Belt and Road Initiative was an easy way to promote trade, but it did not expect to provoke such a strong reaction from the United States and European partners.
Gesine Weber, a European security expert at the German Marshall Fund, a Washington think tank, has said that Italy's withdrawal from the "Belt and Road" was decided months ago, and Italy's choice to announce the news during the China-EU summit is more of a political signal.
Now that Italy is about to assume the G7 presidency in 2024, it feels important to withdraw from the Belt and Road Initiative as soon as possible, so as to win over relations with Western countries and abandon China.
What does Italy regard as a "spare tire"? Is it still a bargaining chip for the United States and Western countries to negotiate conditions?
The withdrawal was requested by the Americans, and the cooperation was voluntary by me, and the left and right sides were on good terms, and Italy did not look like this kind of wall grass?
On the other hand, it is related to the pressure exerted by the United States and Western countries.
Some US and Western politicians have warned Italy that its accession to the Belt and Road Initiative has created hidden concerns for the security of European countries.
Among them, Liselotte Odgaard, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institue, a Washington think tank, said that making China Italy's economic strategic partner has become a potential security risk, and the EU is nervous after Italy joins the "Belt and Road".
Subsequently, the drama of hyping up the "China threat theory" gradually played out.
Since taking office last year, Meloni has struggled to pursue a foreign policy that is more pro-Western and pro-NATO than her predecessor.
But think about it, with $80 billion in trade between China and Italy and $14 billion in surplus with China, who needs whom? There are 2,500 Italian companies in China, and they are all coerced by China?
And Italy is the worst economy in the G7, after joining the "Belt and Road" for 5 years, the trade volume has doubled, what can the United States give Italy?
After Italy withdrew, it found that it could not live without the "Belt and Road", so it could only be cheeky to ask to join again, but unfortunately it was a little late.
Not long after Italy withdrew from the initiative, officials began to regret it, especially after seeing the German chancellor bring a caravan to China, which became even more impatient.
On April 12, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and the Minister of Commerce of the mainland co-chaired the 15th meeting of the China-Italy Economic Cooperation Mixed Committee in Verona, Italy, which was the first high-level business dialogue between the two countries after Italy withdrew from the "Belt and Road" at the end of December last year.
Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Tagani said Italy and China intend to strengthen trade despite Italy's withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative, and the meeting is a "step forward" in bilateral relations. He also revealed that the two countries plan to open direct flights between Shanghai and Venice.
Is this a breakup and regret and seeking to get back together? But how can a heart that has been hurt be healed?
As a result, some netizens expressed doubts about Italy's sincerity, jokingly saying: "Withdrawal is performance, joining is also performance, win twice", "Do you do it for the United States to see, if you don't care about me, I will play with China".
More netizens expressed their indignation at Italy's morning and evening: "Repeated horizontal jumping is Italy's ancestral skill, the kind engraved in the genes", "Don't come, if you break up, you will have your own destiny", "The Belt and Road is free to advance and retreat, but once you withdraw and then enter, you will lose your share", "If you don't join the Belt and Road Initiative, you have to sell yourself if you don't have money".
From this point of view, it is not that they are unwilling to accept Italy's remorse, but that what they have done is really unbelievable.
At the same time, this also confirms the sentence, yesterday you ignored my love, today I made you unclimbable, and tomorrow I will make you regret it.
Over the past 10 years since China put forward the Belt and Road Initiative, it has adhered to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, signed more than 200 cooperation documents with more than 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations, attracted nearly one trillion US dollars of investment around the world, formed more than 3,000 cooperation projects, and created 420,000 jobs for the co-construction countries.
According to the World Bank, in the medium to long term, the Belt and Road cooperation will help lift nearly 40 million people out of poverty.
Facts have fully proved that the Belt and Road cooperation meets the development needs of the world, meets the expectations of the international community, and has always maintained strong resilience and vitality. China is ready to work with the countries to promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and continue to make greater contributions to promoting global sustainable development and exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.
The China-Italy Belt and Road cooperation is the right choice made by the two countries based on their historical and cultural origins and practical development needs. The signing of the Belt and Road cooperation document has greatly stimulated the enthusiasm and potential of cooperation between the two sides.
In the past five years, the bilateral trade volume has increased by 42 percent, reaching nearly 80 billion US dollars last year, Italy has successively served as the guest of honor at the Shanghai International Import Expo and the Hainan Consumer Expo, and many products have entered the Chinese market; the two countries have jointly built large cruise ships; and carried out third-party market cooperation in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America; Italy has also become the most popular tourist destination for Chinese tourists to Europe, and many art exhibitions and performances have been widely welcomed in China.
The real benefits are in front of us, but Italy just can't see it, and it has criticized it against its will, and it is really surprising to do such an act.
The prodigal son turned back, turned back to the shore, so is Italy still worth giving us another chance?
Brother Youli thought about it, this may really depend on when Italy can really recognize the status quo and show real sincerity.