Italy signs up for belt and road infrastructure summit in China
- Giuseppe Conte says initiative could benefit his country’s economy as it struggles to recover from yet another recession
China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” infrastructure plan could be good news for Italy, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Friday, confirming that he might sign an accord with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month.
Xi is due to travel to Italy from March 22-24 and Conte said Rome and Beijing were looking to agree to a framework deal during the state visit, despite reports that the United States was concerned at the prospect of a key ally joining the venture.
“With all the necessary precautions, Italy’s accession to a new silk route represents an opportunity for our country,” Conte told a foreign policy seminar in the northern city of Genoa.
“It won’t mean that the next day we will be forced to do anything. It will allow us to enter into this project and have a dialogue.”
The belt and road plan, championed by Xi, aims to link China by sea and land with southeast and central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa, through an infrastructure network on the lines of the old Silk Road.
Aside from boosting trade and investment, Xi aims to advance exchanges in areas such as science, technology and culture.
