Italy Regrets Joining China's Belt and Road Initiative

Italy's defense minister, Guido Crosetto, criticized the country's decision to join China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), calling it "improvised and atrocious." Italy, the largest economy to sign the pact in 2019, is now considering how to exit the deal without damaging relations. Since joining, Italy's imports from China have nearly doubled, while its exports to China have barely increased. Italy's current prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has expressed mixed signals about the deal, but analysts predict Italy will likely exit the BRI by the end of the year. The BRI has faced criticism for project issues and high debt burdens on participating countries.