White House Hosts Meloni; US and Italian Leaders Discuss China

On Thursday, August 5, US President Joe Biden will host Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, at the White House. The discussions are expected to focus on the Ukraine war and Italy's relations with China. According to Reuters, a White House spokesperson stated on Wednesday that President Biden has a 'good relationship' with Meloni, and both sides emphasized that this visit is 'an opportunity to reaffirm the strong partnership between the countries, including over billions of dollars in military aid and other Western assistance to Ukraine.' Meloni's first visit to Washington comes as she faces a decision regarding Italy's membership in China's Belt and Road Initiative, a program that Washington opposes. The Belt and Road Initiative is a massive infrastructure project aimed at building ports, pipelines, railways, and highways from Asian to European countries, first proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. In 2019, Italy became the first and only G7 country to join China's infrastructure initiative; however, critics argue that this partnership allows China to control sensitive technologies and critical infrastructure. Giorgia Meloni, who became Italy's first female Prime Minister last October, is looking to play a decisive role abroad as she prepares for Italy's upcoming presidency of the G7 in 2024. She and her right-wing coalition have taken positions on abortion and LGBTQ rights that contrast with those of President Biden. The meeting between Biden and Meloni comes less than a week after Italy hosted an international migration conference in Rome and amid Italy's efforts to address the high volume of migrants arriving by boat from North Africa. The International Monetary Fund has warned Italy of the looming risk of economic growth decline. Italian police seized a $946 million cocaine shipment. John Kerry emphasized the need for 'real progress' in US-China climate dialogue.