Italy Regrets Joining China's Belt and Road Initiative

Italy's decision to join China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) four years ago was criticized by Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto as an "improvised and atrocious" act that did little to boost Italian exports. Italy is now considering how to break free from the agreement without damaging relations with Beijing. Despite being part of the BRI, Italy is not the G7 country with the strongest trading links to China, highlighting that good relations and trading partnerships can exist outside of the BRI.