The departure would have come after weeks of diplomatic consultations in which Rome sought to change the terms of the agreement
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(Sputnik) Italy has officially withdrawn from China’s Belt and Road Initiative after weeks of deliberations while expressing its desire to maintain the strategic partnership with Beijing, Italian media reported on Wednesday.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sent a verbal note to Chinese authorities three days ago without an official announcement, ending the country’s fouryear involvement in the multibilliondollar project, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported.
The departure would have come after weeks of diplomatic consultations in which Rome tried to change the terms of the agreement signed by former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in 2019, but all of his proposals were rejected by Beijing.
As the only G7 country to join the project, Italy has had few economic benefits and many undesirable political effects, including discontent in the United States, and its withdrawal could affect the willingness of other countries to remain in the project, the newspaper said. However, Italy remains interested in maintaining friendly relations with China, which is why there is a lack of public statements from both sides, according to the report.
CONTINUED AFTER RECOMMENDATIONS
Even before she was elected prime minister, Meloni promised to withdraw from the initiative and described the previous government’s decision as a “big mistake.”
The Belt and Road Initiative is a global infrastructure development project launched by China in 2013. Inspired by the ancient Silk Road, it aims to connect China to Central Asia, Russia and Europe by land, and to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean by sea. More than 150 nations are currently involved, with a dozen more considering joining the initiative.