ia strategic with the United States and diplomatic commitment to build a “European way” to the Chinese dossier with the partners of the Union. In the evening, Mario Draghi has returned from a very long marathon at the G7 in Cornwall. Complicating the summit is what US administration sources cited by the American media have leaked. They point to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor as the protagonists of a “disagreement” with Biden on the best strategies to compete with China. A reading that Rome is quick to dismantle with clarity. And that, in any case, the final agreement of the greats resizes decisively.
The summary of the premier’s position comes after 8 pm, at the end of a meeting between Draghi and Biden on the sidelines of the summit (in the morning, the US President had spent a long bilateral deal with Macron, the closest to Washington on the Chinese chapter) . The face-to-face lasts half an hour and takes place on the Carbis Bay beach, outside the American president’s cottage. It is the latter who tells Draghi about his love for Italy and Capri. “Consider having a permanent invitation,” jokes the former central banker. As soon as the interview was over, sources from Palazzo Chigi assure that it “went very well”. More: it is the prime minister who intervenes. “Since the formation of the government – he says – I have been very clear: the two pillars of Italian foreign policy are Europeanism and Atlanticism”. Harmony, therefore: “We agree with Biden on many issues: women, young people, defense of the least, human rights, civil rights, social rights and environmental protection which is the key theme of our G20 presidency”.
These are crucial points. As crucial, of course, is the trade dossier. This is the concern that is most close to the heart of the European Chancelleries and, in particular, of Rome and Berlin, given the profound interdependence in the manufacturing sector and the high volume of trade with Beijing. But to attract attention is also another piece of information, leaked from Palazzo Chigi: “China was not discussed with Biden”.
Indeed, it is precisely the issue of the relationship with Beijing that complicates the G7 for a few hours. And to make leaders argue. Above all, the Chancellor is exposed, supported in some passages by her continental colleagues. They embody the European nuance to the Chinese dossier, which mediates between the traditional Atlantic alliance and the commercial interconnection with Beijing. These are steps in favor of Biden’s approach – which remains the fact of primary importance compared to the Trump era – without prejudice to some differences between the Seven.
On the project of a new Western Silk Road, for example, the big players of the Union ask for further information during the summit. And when we analyze the idea of a possible G7 task force dedicated to the Dragon. Merkel asks that it be set not as a challenge to China, but in a “positive” key. It is an idea that Draghi supports. When it comes to human rights, it is the Chancellor who softens the call for a harsh condemnation of forced labor on Chinese soil.
Let me be clear: no one spares criticism of the eastern giant. The Italian premier, for example, chooses harsh tones when discussing the threat of autocratic systems on Western soil. And remember the interference, fake news, cyber attacks and disruptive actions to the free course of democratic elections.
In the end, the compromise largely responds to the “philosophical” stakes set by Draghi, and is summed up in the final agreement. A position that can be condensed into three principles: cooperation with Beijing on the climate, competition on trade and opposition to affirm respect for human and civil rights. The informal initiatives of the Seven – starting with the possible task force – must not, however, be presented as antagonistic to the giant of the East, but aimed at promoting an alternative agenda in which other countries can recognize themselves.
These are the last hours of the summit. Today, just before lunch, Draghi will sum up in front of the press. And he will repeat his arguments even in the face of Biden: “The Italian political framework often changes, but certain things – such as our deep alliance with the USA – never change”. In supporting it, he will focus above all on the dossiers that are most dear to Rome. Starting with the climate and the Libyan theater.
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