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Reference News reported on July 31 Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised China for its role in helping to end the Russia-Ukraine war, while seeking to establish closer ties with the world's second-largest economy, Bloomberg News website reported on July 30.

On July 30, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a press conference in Beijing. Source: Reuters

On the 30th, Meloni said at a press conference in Beijing that China is an important stakeholder in seeking a solution to the conflict.

Speaking of the Russia-Ukraine war, Melloni said: "I believe that China can be a key player in creating a just peace." This is her first official visit to China since taking office in 2022.

The Italian leader, who is attempting a charm offensive in China, described her meeting with Chinese leaders as "candid and mutually respectful."

The Italian leader's visit comes as Europe prepares for the November U.S. presidential election, which could see a major shift in Washington's foreign and trade policies. Republican candidate Donald Trump has vowed to end the war in Ukraine "within 24 hours" if he wins, and his running mate Cyrus Vance has long been opposed to continuing to aid Kyiv.

Recently, China received the first high-ranking Ukrainian official to visit China since the Russian-Ukrainian war. A few days later, the Chinese government's special representative for Eurasian affairs went to Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia to create conditions for "restarting peace talks."

Further reading:

Meloni took her kids on a trip during the summer vacation. Does she look like that guy?

It is a good thing to have exchanges and mutual learning of civilizations, even if it is just mutual learning of food.

Italian Prime Minister Meroni held talks with Premier Li Qiang on the afternoon of July 28 during her visit to China. Next, there will be more important parts of the visit for her.

On the afternoon of July 27, Italian Prime Minister Meroni and his daughter arrived in Beijing. Photo: Screenshot of @CGTN reporter group report

It is worth noting that when Meloni walked out of the plane on July 27 during her visit to China, she was holding the hand of her little daughter. It turned out that this was her 8-year-old daughter Ginevra.

During the summer vacation, the mode of traveling with children can't help but resonate with some people——

Does it look like that guy?

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In addition to the little girl appearing in the camera when getting off the plane, Meloni and Ginevra appeared in some more relaxed sessions besides the formal talks. For example, they checked in at the Beijing Yuxiandu Royal Cuisine Museum. From the videos released by Beijing Satellite TV's "Beijing Time" platforms, it can be seen that Ginevra was very happy to watch the oriental "palace performance" and taste Chinese food on the spot.

However, a waiter appeared in the background and typed "Happy Birthday, Little Prince", but I don't know whose birthday it was on the Italian side.

Anyway, it can be seen that the Italian Prime Minister and his entourage are experiencing a dining culture in Beijing that is similar to Fangshan.

Meloni and her daughter enjoy the food in Yuxiandu Photo: Screenshot of Beijing TV's "Beijing Time" video

Hai Shu wants to say that it is not uncommon for leaders like Meloni to take their children with them when they travel abroad. Now that it is the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, it can't help but remind us of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, when Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko visited Beijing and walked out of the plane with his son.

Time flies. On December 4, 2023, Lukashenko, who was still the President of Belarus, visited Peking University during his visit to China.

Lukashenko and his son join the battle. Photo: Peking University website

At that time, he also played a game of "father and son on ice" with his son Nikolai, which means participating in ice hockey training.

Lukashenko said that the close cooperation on the field was a pleasure.

As a student at Peking University, Nicola and his father also presented gifts to their teammates on the ice hockey team!

Lukashenko (left) helps his son carry gifts. Photo: Peking University website

Meloni and his daughter are visiting China during the Olympic Games. However, this year's Summer Olympics is held in Paris. Judging from the look she gave French President Macron not long ago, it seems that she doesn't want to join in the fun in Paris.

Now that I'm in Beijing, I'd like to try some food similar to Fangshan. I'd also like to think that there was an Italian named Marco Polo who had visited the Yuan Dynasty capital and had naturally experienced Chinese food. Looking back on the past, I feel that there is still a lot to talk about.

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Judging from the food and drink that foreign leaders tasted during their visits to China, Meloni's visit was indeed high-end. He sat on a replica of the dragon throne and tried a "Manchu and Han Banquet".

As Uncle Hai watched Meloni enjoying his feast, he was reminded of when Joe Biden, then Vice President of the United States, visited Beijing in 2011 and went to Yao Ji Chao Gan for dinner.

Biden dining at Yao Ji Chao Gan in 2011

At that time, Biden and his entourage of five ordered noodles with soybean sauce, cold shredded potatoes, mixed cucumbers, steamed buns, cola, etc., spending a total of 79 yuan.

Another memorable part of the meal is that Biden was accompanied to Yao Ji Chao Gan by his granddaughter Naomi. In front of the customers at the next table, Biden introduced her as his granddaughter. Biden seemed very happy to hear everyone praise his granddaughter for being "so beautiful".

Biden and his granddaughter Naomi (file photo)

Obviously, compared with Meloni, Biden knew better how to get close to China.

Now, the visits of American officials under President Biden to China are quite different. For example, US Treasury Secretary Yellen visited China twice and brought three menus to the forefront:

When Yellen visited China this year, she landed in Guangzhou and chose Tao Tao Ju Restaurant, a time-honored Cantonese restaurant. The "Yellen menu" released by the restaurant includes representative Cantonese delicacies such as black fungus and okra, roast goose, barbecued pork, shrimp dumplings, seafood red rice sausage and double skin milk. According to some media reports, Yellen and her group chose a set meal. There were about 10 people eating at the same table. According to the standard of dining in a hall, the average cost per person was about 130 yuan.

Afterwards, she went to Beijing and went straight to Lao Chuanban Restaurant. The menu included spicy Sichuan dishes such as boiled beef and mapo tofu, as well as a variety of light seasonal vegetables, and traditional Sichuan staple foods and snacks such as Sichuan cold noodles, Sichuan northern jelly, dandan noodles, and Zhong dumplings.

When Yellen visited China last year, she went to a Yunnan restaurant in Sanlitun, Beijing, and the waiter said that Yellen loves mushrooms and ordered four servings when she saw the mushrooms.

Yellen's meal during her visit to China sparked the popularity of the "Sit and Forget" restaurant. Photo: Yuyuantan Tian Weibo

Compared with the restaurants that Biden visited in the past and Yellen visited in recent years, the Fangshan-style meal that Meloni and her daughter ate seemed a bit grand, as if it was a little beyond the consumption level of ordinary people.

In fact, what Hai Shu wants to say is that whether it is Biden or Yellen, including when Obama was the President of the United States and went to a black hamburger restaurant in Washington to eat, the deep-seated meaning is a kind of Democratic logic - to show that they are close to the people in their governance.

Of course, the Republicans will also "fight back". For example, when Trump was the president of the United States, he always showed off his favorites - Coke and hamburgers.

Trump has also shown his friendly side to China. In 2016, his granddaughter Arabella showed off her Chinese talent.

In 2016, when Trump first ran for the US presidency, his granddaughter Arabella showed off her Chinese talent

After Trump first took office as US President, Arabella once recited Tang poetry in a video, which made people feel that Trump might be quite friendly to China. This is not to mention that Trump often calls someone "my Chinese friend".

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Some people would say that whether foreign leaders bring their children with them when visiting China to show their friendship towards China, or let their children learn Chinese, it is essentially for the benefit of their own country.

Of course this is true! As Lukashenko's son studied at Peking University, the relationship between China and Belarus has been improving step by step. Recently, the Chinese People's Liberation Army has gone to Belarus to participate in joint exercises.

But on the other hand, whether it is the United States or other countries, are they showing good relations with China on the one hand and taking measures to contain China on the other?

Uncle Hai wants to say that communication and mutual learning of civilizations, even if it is just mutual learning of food, is a good thing. Human beings develop because of constant communication, yes!