Defense Minister: Italy’s decision to join China’s BRI was “atrocious”

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto described Italy’s choice to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) four years ago as “improvised and atrocious” since there was no increase in exports. He said that China was the sole beneficiary of the agreement since exports had not increased.

Italy was the only major Western nation to join the BRI when it did so under a previous administration. The nation’s Western allies heavily criticized the government for its action. Crosetto is a member of the administration that is thinking about how to leave the deal.

 

According to Crosetto, who spoke to the Corriere della Sera newspaper, “the decision to join the (new) Silk Road was an improvised and atrocious act” that increased Chinese exports to Italy but not Italian exports to China. He continued, “The issue today is: how to walk back [from the BRI] without damaging relations [with Beijing]. China is a rival, but it’s also a partner, therefore this is accurate.

 

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that her government was still considering the BRI during a meeting with US President Joe Biden on Thursday at the White House and declared an upcoming trip to Beijing, according to a Reuters report.

 

The BRI plan calls for significant infrastructure investment to restore the historic Silk Road, which connected China to Asia, Europe, and beyond. Critics claim that China is using it as a vehicle to expand its geopolitical and economic power.