A high-level conference titled “Chinese Influence in the EU: The Cases of Italy and Eastern Europe (Romania)” was held at the Italian Senate, jointly organized by Expert Forum, Doublethink Lab, and the Global Committee for the Rule of Law – Marco Pannella.
The event featured distinguished speakers, including Ambassador Vincent Tsai, Representative of Taiwan in Italy; Sorin Ionita, President of Expert Forum; Senators Andrea De Priamo and Cinzia Pellegrino of the Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia) party; and Il Foglio journalist Giulia Pompili. The discussion was moderated by Matteo Angioli.
Opening the session, Senator Giulio Terzi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, highlighted multiple instances of interference by the Chinese Communist Party, including pressure within Italy’s cultural sector to block major performances of traditional Chinese dance such as Shen Yun, inspired by the spiritual practice Falun Gong.
Senator Terzi further emphasized China’s extensive strategies of malicious disinformation, cognitive manipulation, and economic and political coercion, drawing parallels with hybrid threats from Russia aimed at undermining and delegitimizing Western democratic institutions, their values, history, and very foundations.
He also drew attention to the harmful impact of digital platforms on younger generations, recalling that the European Council, Parliament, and Commission have launched investigations and mechanisms to strengthen EU-wide efforts against disinformation.
In his remarks, Ambassador Tsai outlined several additional methods employed by Beijing, citing in particular the DeepSeek artificial intelligence platform and the widespread use of Chinese technological and IT components, which are increasingly regarded by Western nations as posing a serious national security risk.
Senators Cinzia Pellegrino and Andrea De Priamo stressed two critical dimensions of Beijing’s influence: the erosion of individual freedoms and personal identity in China through the social credit system; and the ongoing struggle of the Tibetan and Taiwanese peoples to defend their fundamental values and autonomy.
In her intervention, Giulia Pompili underscored the importance of strengthening Italy’s institutional presence in Taipei, following the example of other Western countries in recent years. Such initiatives, she noted, are essential to counter Beijing’s strategies of influence, coercion, and disinformation, while supporting Taiwan as a model of democratic resilience in confronting these global challenges.