BEIJING — Italian President Sergio Mattarella met with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday during his official visit to China. This meeting occurs against the backdrop of increased tensions due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has positioned Italy’s NATO allies at odds with China’s allegiance to Moscow.

Following a formal ceremony that included military honors at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xi and Mattarella exchanged pleasantries. In his opening speech, Xi referenced the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo’s expedition to China, which fostered connections between Europe and East Asia in terms of culture, commerce, and religion.

Italy’s economy is significantly dependent on international trade, particularly luxury goods which have a substantial market in China. Despite being a NATO member, Italy finds itself in a complicated relationship with Beijing, particularly as China has criticized NATO for its role in escalating the Russia-Ukraine crisis. It’s notable that China has been supporting Russia by purchasing its energy supplies and offering technology that can be applied in military scenarios, including drones.

While they did not publicly discuss any political disagreements during their meeting, the two leaders supervised the signing of multiple agreements that encompassed various topics, including culture, technology, and trade.

Italy has recently chosen to exit Xi’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to strengthen China’s relationships through infrastructure investments across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni opted against renewing the agreement, even though she visited China earlier in July.

Italy had previously become the first G7 nation to endorse the Belt and Road Initiative in 2019, during a time when the populist, anti-establishment Five Star Movement party was in power. They marketed the initiative as a means to boost trade with China while also attracting investments in critical infrastructure. However, concrete results, especially regarding promised investments in Italian ports that were widely advertised in the media, have yet to materialize.