Italian President Sergio Mattarella’s recent visit to China marked an important milestone in Sino-Italian relations, with the Italian leader urging Chinese President Xi Jinping to leverage China’s influence to help end global conflicts, arguing that open markets are an “antidote to war.”
In an interview with the Chinese television station CGTN on Sunday, Mattarella spoke with He Yanke, host of the Leaders Talk program, and emphasized China’s potential role in promoting global peace.
Mattarella stated that he had encouraged Xi to help end ongoing conflicts, underscoring Beijing’s influence on the international stage.
“China is one of the key players in international relations,” Mattarella said, adding that during his three-day visit to Beijing, he hoped China would use its global position to uphold the principles of international law and peaceful coexistence.
In particular, Mattarella called for Beijing’s support in “ending Russia’s brutal aggression against Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity and taking the first steps toward a just peace based on the principles of the United Nations Charter.”
Encouraging Beijing to support a wwo-State solution in Palestine
The Italian President also addressed the Middle East crisis, decrying the “unacceptable wave of violence” devastating civilian populations.
“The war must stop immediately to find a solution to the enormous humanitarian crisis it is creating,” he said, expressing hope that China would “raise its voice to promote restraint and facilitate a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine among regional actors.”
On the economic front, Mattarella described open markets as “the antidote to war” and stated, “Every message promoting political, economic, and trade cooperation strengthens peace. Open markets and trade cooperation support social prosperity and are an alternative to conflict.”
Second high-level visit after Belt and Road withdrawal
Mattarella’s visit, which followed that of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in July, signaled a rebuilding of relations after recent tensions over Italy’s withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Mattarella reiterated the “exceptional” nature of Italy-China relations, noting that it was unusual for both an Italian president and prime minister to visit China in such a short time.
“This underscores the importance of Italy’s relations with China and the priority Italy places on developing these ties,” Mattarella said, describing the relationship as one of “friendship.”
Xi Jinping described the visit as a “new historical starting point.”
Xi warmly welcomed Mattarella, calling him “an old friend of the Chinese people and my good friend,” highlighting that their long-standing relationship, maintained through phone calls and letters, had fostered bilateral cooperation even in challenging times.
Xi called the visit a “new historic starting point” for Italy-China relations.
Their discussions also touched on China-EU tariffs and included a “non-ideological reflection on the need for a new world order” in response to rapid global changes.
“The world is undergoing great, intense, profound, and rapid changes,” Mattarella said, stressing that a “spirit of unity” is essential to confront these changes.
Ten cooperation agreements signed between Rome and Beijing
The visit concluded with the signing of ten cooperation agreements between Rome and Beijing, covering areas such as film production and competition regulations.
Speaking at a university in Beijing on Saturday, Mattarella also called on China to remove trade barriers for Italian products, noting that “China is Italy’s largest economic partner in Asia.”
During the conference, he emphasized the need for “a balanced relationship that includes the removal of barriers preventing high-quality Italian products from entering the Chinese market.”
