Italy’s foreign minister begins a three-day visit to China, focusing on diplomatic coordination, trade relations and cultural initiatives, as Rome seeks to advance its bilateral agenda with Beijing.
A visit long in the making. Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani begins a three-day mission to China on April 16, with stops in Beijing and Shanghai, for a series of high-level institutional meetings and economic and cultural initiatives aimed at reinforcing bilateral ties.
- The visit, planned well in advance, takes place at a sensitive political moment.
- Recent tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have added complexity to Rome’s diplomatic positioning, even as ongoing engagements with Washington (e.g. the Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti’s mission to D.C.) point to continued strategic alignment and a multi-vector foreign policy.
Institutional talks and economic dialogue. In Beijing, Tajani is scheduled to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and co-chair, alongside Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, the 16th session of the Italy-China Joint Economic Commission, as well as a bilateral business dialogue involving Italian companies operating in the Chinese market.
- Talks are expected to focus on key international dossiers, including developments in the Middle East and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, with particular attention to Pakistan’s mediation efforts, as well as the ongoing war in Ukraine
- Italy aims to contribute to shared solutions safeguarding Kyiv’s sovereignty and the Euro-Atlantic alliance’s solidity, as a divided West and fractured Europe would only benefit Moscow, PM Giorgia Meloni said yesterday in joint statements with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- Italy’s Foreign Minister is expected to reiterate its position in favor of a more active Chinese role in facilitating a cessation of hostilities and the launch of credible negotiations.
Trade priorities and market access. Beyond geopolitical issues, the mission will aim to strengthen bilateral economic relations through the implementation of the Italy-China Action Plan for 2024–2027.
- Italian officials are expected to emphasize the need to rebalance trade and investment flows, while pushing for the removal of market access barriers affecting Italian exports.
- China remains a key destination for Italian goods.
- It is Italy’s leading trading partner in Asia and its second-largest partner outside the European Union, with bilateral trade approaching €75 billion in 2025, marking an increase of 11.2 percent compared to the previous year.
Cultural diplomacy on display. Cultural diplomacy will also feature prominently in Tajani’s programme. In Beijing, the foreign minister will inaugurate an exhibition at the National Art Museum of China titled “Homage to the Great Masters. From Leonardo to Caravaggio. Masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance,” the first of three exhibitions curated by the Uffizi Galleries.
- The visit will then move to Shanghai, where Tajani will open the exhibition “Italia Meravigliosa” in conjunction with Italy’s National Made in Italy Day.
- He is also expected to meet representatives of the Italian business community active in China.
A broader strategic signal. The mission reflects Rome’s continued effort to maintain an active and multifaceted engagement with Beijing, combining diplomatic dialogue, economic outreach, and cultural projection. At the same time, the broader geopolitical environment — including transatlantic dynamics — is likely to influence both the interpretation and the longer-term implications of the visit.