US-Italy leaders hold phone talks, Chinese officials visit Milan

On June 26, US President Joe Biden had a phone call with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni about bilateral relations and other issues.

Liu Jianchao, head of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, speaks at the signing ceremony of the BRI memorandum of understanding in Milan, Italy on June 25. (Source: Sputnik)

The White House said President Biden had discussed the recent developments in Russia with allies, and the call with Ms. Meloni was part of that. “The leaders agreed on steadfast support for Ukraine,” the statement said.

The two leaders also discussed preparations for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July, as well as recent developments in North Africa. President Joe Biden also extended an invitation to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to visit the United States.

Earlier, on June 25, Liu Jianchao, head of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visited Milan. Speaking at a meeting with businessmen in the southeastern Italian city, Liu praised Italy's signing of a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

He called the European country’s participation in the China-initiated mechanism “the right decision,” now and in the future. He assessed that the agreement would make both sides more confident in bilateral cooperation and set a good precedent for other countries to follow in their efforts to build a global network of partnerships.

Mr. Liu Jianchao added that China “is not only a big market for investment and development, but also a strategic springboard for Italian businesses to penetrate deeper into Asia.”

Italy is the only country in the Group of Seven (G7) to sign the BRI agreement. Liu’s visit comes as EU members continue to be cautious with China.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/lanh-dao-my-italy-dien-dam-quan-chuc-trung-quoc-toi-milan-232523.html