Speaking at the China-Italy Cultural Forum in Beijing in the presence of his host, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Italian State President Sergio Mattarella stressed the importance of cultural dialogue against the creation of “opposite blocs” in the world.
Mattarella told Xi: “You are well aware of the fundamental role of intercultural dialogue—as you engage in it every day, that is the basis of an ever-deeper mutual understanding aimed at creating sound and lasting relationships, not only between states but also—and above all—between peoples. Culture enhances the dignity of individuals.
“It is not a naïve aspiration. It is not an exchange that is unmindful of the differences. Quite the opposite: the value of the exercise consists in assuming and analyzing them with openness, without this hindering comparison and cooperation.
“This way of approaching each other is productive as it leads to building a common heritage.
“It is a reflection, an attitude that spurs us to avoid the temptation of returning to anachronistic stands in a world of opposed blocs.”
In an implicit criticism of the EU, Mattarella said that unity among a set of countries must not be unity against others: “Italians, as founding members of the European Union, uphold the importance of phenomena that unify Countries which share the same interests or feelings.
“But not against others.
“On the contrary, it is necessary to always maintain a constructive dialogue, regardless of how distant or different others may be, without raising unjustified barriers. This is the sense of multilateralism, based on rules that are fixed, shared and binding for all.
“Matteo Ricci, who, along with Marco Polo, represents an iconic figure of the depth of relations between China and Italy, wrote in De Amicitia that ‘friendship is more useful to the world than wealth.’”
As a sign of friendship, the Italian delegation brought dozens of Chinese archeological treasures that had been stolen in the past, and Xi Jinping gave Mattarella a sample of the lunar soil that China’s Chang’e-5 probe had collected “as a demonstration of aerospace cooperation between the two countries.”
Though somewhat limited in concrete initiatives, as no economic issues graced the agenda, nor did Mattarella bring an industrial delegation with him, the Italian President’s comments resonate with a growing dynamic within the EU which is rejecting geopolitical blocs and the suicidal plunge into war.
