Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday that Italy can improve trade and economic ties with China even after Rome’s decision to leave Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
“I think that we should… improve our cooperation with China on trade, the economy,” Meloni told reporters in her first public comments on the issue since Italy informed China it was quitting the BRI.
“The tool of the (BRI) … has not produced the results that were expected,” she added.
Italy in 2019 became the first and so far only major Western nation to join the trade and investment programme, ignoring warnings from the United States that it might allow China to take control of sensitive technologies and vital infrastructure.
However, when Meloni took office last year, she said she wanted to withdraw from the deal, which was championed by President Xi Jinping.
The 2019 accord expires in March 2024 and an Italian government source said on Wednesday that Rome had sent Beijing a letter “in recent days” informing China that it would not be renewing.
Italy will pull out of China’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the government has confirmed.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration notified Beijing that it would cease participating in the BRI ahead of a deadline at the year’s end.
Italy was the only major Western nation to sign up to the BRI, one of China’s most ambitious trade and infrastructure projects, in 2019. The move was heavily criticised by the US and others at the time.
Launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, the BRI aims to invest an estimated $1tn (£794bn; €925bn) across Asia and Europe. Projects including new and upgraded railways and ports aim to connect China with Europe and other parts of Asia.
Reacting to the Italian decision to pull out of the scheme, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman did not criticise Rome by name, but said: “China firmly opposes smearing that damages Belt and Road co-operation.”
China is up in arms as Italy walks out of Xi Jinping’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). A seething Beijing branded Italy’s move as “smearing” of its BRI project. In a strong-worded statement, China accused Italy of undermining its initiative. Italy has officially exited the BRI four years after becoming the only G7 nation to sign up. The move by Italy is seen as a pro-India decision, as New Delhi has slammed the BRI repeatedly. India has expressed strong concerns over the BRI due to sovereignty issues. This is because the economic corridor passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
China’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that the BRI has “enormous appeal and global influence”, without singling out Italy for criticism.
“China firmly opposes smearing that damages Belt and Road cooperation,” foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters at a routine briefing.
