Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has privately informed Chinese Premier Li Qiang of Italy's plan to withdraw from Chinese President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The announcement was made during a meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in India. While Italy aims to maintain friendly relations with Beijing, it has decided to exit the investment pact that has become a test of its relationship with the United States.
Although Italy officially signed up for the BRI in 2019, Meloni is taking her time before publicly communicating the government's decision to withdraw, amid concerns of potential trade retaliation. She had already informed her allies several months ago of her intention to exit the initiative. During her conversation with Li, Meloni made it clear that the BRI is not the sole factor shaping their bilateral relationship and highlighted that other European countries have managed to negotiate better relationships with China without joining the initiative.
The Italian prime minister's message to the Chinese premier was first reported by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. Notably, there was no mention of the BRI in the official read-out following their meeting. Meloni intends to visit China in the coming months, which is seen as a sensitive issue considering the earlier warning by the Chinese ambassador to Italy of potential negative consequences if Italy were to withdraw from the agreement.
The BRI, launched by President Xi a decade ago, aims to strengthen economic ties between countries and expand China's global influence. However, as tensions escalate between the US and China, European countries like Italy find themselves caught in the middle. They must balance the desire to engage with China economically while addressing concerns over human rights, economic coercion, and dependency on Chinese supplies.
Italy's decision to withdraw from the BRI comes amid growing unease in Europe about China's support for Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. As China's influence grows, European nations navigate the delicate balance of trade and investment cooperation while voicing concerns about human rights abuses and economic coercion.
China is planning to host a summit in October to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the BRI. Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted a formal invitation from President Xi to attend, making it Putin's first foreign trip since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant in March for his arrest over alleged war crimes.