Italian President Sergio Mattarella urged his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to utilise his country’s influence to end global conflicts.
Mattarella stated that open markets were “the antidote to war.” He emphasised that Beijing had played a key role in promoting global peace.
China is one of the key players in international affairs.
During his three-day visit to Beijing, Mattarella expressed hope that China would use its global position to uphold the principles of international law and peaceful coexistence.
The war must be stopped immediately to allow for solutions to the immense humanitarian crisis it has created.
The trip, which followed a visit by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in July, signalled a rebuilding of relations after recent tensions caused by Italy’s withdrawal from China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Xi called the Italian president “an old friend of the Chinese people and my good friend.” He also emphasised that the visit was “a new historic starting point” for relations between Italy and China. The meeting ended with the signing of ten co-operation agreements.
Lecturing at a Beijing university on Saturday, Mattarella called on China to remove trade barriers for Italian products. The president also urged for “a balanced relationship that includes the removal of barriers that prevent Italian high-quality products from entering the Chinese market.”
