Meet China: approach to China as an Italian system or as a European system?

Today we are in a factory of cotton harvesting machinery. In this plant there are thirty of these machines that cost about three million renminbi, about half a million euros, each. Each of these machines in an hour manages to collect cotton for twenty-five mu, about two hectares.

Thank you Michele, thank you very much and then there are two more questions, then there is an observation I think: “Having acknowledged that with individual initiatives it is difficult to have an impact, do you think it is better to approach China as an Italy system or as a European system? ” it was also addressed to Cristiana Barbatelli. In my opinion, absolutely like the Italian system, that is, we have a brand, a Made in Italy, a tradition, we try to push on our products that are based on this great perception that Chinese consumers have of quality and tradition, of history, even here, the story fits.

So in my opinion the European approach dilutes and then you know Andrea for how much we want to be pro-European and we want to block, remember that we are now I don’t know where Europe ends 3, 4, 500 million in short, we are talking about a proportion, of a relative importance that is forever decreasing and then it must not we must not like it or displease us but the reality is that we in Europe sorry, when I say Europe I correct myself, in Europe we are competitors that is an extra bottle of French wine, it is a bottle of wine less Italian. The common strategy on the Silk Road, but what does it mean that I called the Dutch minister I told him: “listen, I have an idea, I would like containers instead of going to Rotterdam and Antwerp in Belgium to come to Trieste, to Palermo , in Genoa “and then they closed the phone in my face. And they did well, that is what a European approach means, I know, the Silk Road, at the ports there is here let’s face it we slaughter each other, on the products, on the infrastructures, on who has to take these containers, therefore the competition between the ports is fierce. Among other things, of course, if you allow me a note of controversy, woe betide if the Chinese invest in our ports but have invested in Le Havre, Marseille, Piraeus, Malta, Israel and among all the sensitive places in Rotterdam, Antwerp, Bruges, someone was wrong in Le Havre in the North, in Valentia, Morocco, Istanbul, in short, everywhere.

It is not possible with us! Among other things, they did not invest, it was a cooperation that they were trying to bring containers, without selling them in our ports because we cannot even sell them by law.

I talked to Tsipras Alexis, the former prime minister, and he said: “but sorry but what problem do you have with the ports that here have given us work from one million and five we have gone to six million containers a year. Yes, the problem is that we have to work harder. ” This and some problems, the workers, yes it’s hot, what you want but attention guys here everyone does business on their own, there is no approach I say European but maybe we meant the European Union because we are all competitors with each other. Does the United States make the phase 1 deal to do what? To get China to buy more soybeans, but have they told Brazil? no! Have they told Europe that this creates trade diversion? So we must have a common umbrella approach in my opinion, on some principles of rights and modus operandi so we must have the rules and that yes we must do it in common and then the competition is fierce.

But that’s how the European Union works, common commercial policy, promotion policy, instead everyone on their own and this is even more true for investments where in reality there is not even any European Union competence on investments. , so on investments every new person does as he wants, he does his screening, he does his golden power like us, we are attentive, etc. This is the reality: partners on policies when there is to negotiate conceptually and fierce competitors when making the promotion of our products, it goes to zero sum. Thanks Michele for these ideas are fundamental and I hope they will be useful for institutions, next governments to accelerate on the global value chain.