1. Less than 24 hours after Italy announced its withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative, the EU high-level made a commitment to China in person.
Italy's decision to withdraw from the group has attracted widespread attention, while EU Council President Charles Michel and his team flew to Beijing shortly afterwards to express their support and commitment to China. The China-EU summit was held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, marking an important development in Sino-European relations. The summit was held in person, which shows the importance of both sides. At the meeting, the Chinese side stressed that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which is a new starting point for the development of China-EU relations, and it is necessary to sum up experience, address challenges, and chart the course for future cooperation. At the meeting, Michel expressed the unanimous position of the EU, emphasizing that the EU will cooperate with China to establish stable and mutually beneficial relations.
Before Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also made a statement on China-EU relations. She pointed out that although the EU has the tools to protect the market, it prefers to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation, while stressing that the balance of relations is intolerable for European leaders. Although von der Leyen and others have been emphasizing that they will not decouple from China, there are considerable differences within the EU on China policy. On the one hand, European powers such as Germany and France advocate maintaining good relations with China, as a large number of European companies rely on the Chinese market. On the other hand, some EU countries are worried about the competitive pressure brought to them by China's rise in the economic field, so they tend to "de-risk" China. It can be seen that there are contradictions and differences in the EU's China policy.
Italy is the first founding member of the European Union to formally join the Belt and Road Initiative, and the only G7 country to join. However, when Italy and China signed the Belt and Road Initiative, it was criticized by the United States and the European Union. Over the years, Italy has been under constant pressure from the G7 and the United States. Although the Italian side has always denied that the withdrawal is related to the West, it is clear that political factors have played a role. Some countries were skeptical of Italy's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and pressured it to make the decision to withdraw.
Italy** claimed that it had not made significant gains in the four years since joining the Belt and Road Initiative, and announced its withdrawal on this ground. However, in fact, in the four years since the signing of the agreement, the world has been swept by the new crown epidemic, which must have had a certain impact on China and Italy. However, Italy has not only kept its mouth shut about the impact of the epidemic, but also ignored China's dissuasion and resolutely withdrew from the Belt and Road Initiative, showing signs of pressure from some countries.
Italy's announcement of its withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative has caused widespread discussion and speculation in the international community. Some believe that this is a decision made by Italy** in order to satisfy domestic political interests. After all, the leaders of the ** who withdraw from the "Belt and Road" at this time are likely to gain some domestic political support. However, such a decision could have a negative impact on Italy's economic relations and international image. In addition, some commentators have also pointed out that Italy's withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative may bring some uncertainty to China's cooperation with Europe, which requires further observation and analysis.
There are concerns that Italy's withdrawal could have repercussions for other European countries. After all, Italy's withdrawal from Italy, one of the founding members of the Belt and Road Initiative, may have a certain impact on the opinions and decision-making of EU countries. In addition, some argue that China's rise in the economic and ** spheres has put competitive pressure on Western countries, so some countries may take Italy's opportunity to take a more cautious approach to China in order to protect their interests.
In short, less than 24 hours after Italy announced its withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative, the EU's top leadership made a commitment to China, showing the importance it attaches to China's relations with Europe. However, Italy's decision to withdraw from the EU and the disagreement within the EU on China policy still exist, creating some uncertainty about the EU-China partnership. In the face of these challenges, the two sides need to work together to resolve differences through dialogue and cooperation, and further consolidate and develop China-EU relations. The above are personal thoughts and opinions on the event.