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Italy May Withdraw from China's Belt and Road as Economic and Geopolitical Concerns Mount

  • Italy is considering withdrawing from China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which it joined in 2019 as the only G7 member.

  • Italy is unhappy with the lack of economic benefit from the BRI, with little increase in Chinese investment or exports to China.

  • Geopolitics is also a factor, with Italy and Europe hardening their stance against China amid the Ukraine war.

  • Withdrawing would be a loss of face for China ahead of the BRI's 10th anniversary.

  • India opposes the BRI as it passes through disputed territory between India and Pakistan.

indianexpress.com
Relevant topic timeline:
China is redesigning its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to save it from criticism and growing skepticism at home amid a slowing economy, shifting towards smaller projects with quicker benefits and a greater sense of ownership for local people.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of the G20 summit and expressed the intention to strengthen relations, despite Italy considering abandoning China's "Belt and Road" initiative.
China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was initially an economic plan to overcome China's economic challenges, but it has evolved into a geopolitical strategy, unsettling Western nations as China aims to expand its influence and showcase a different model of development, although its ambitions are still primarily focused on its own region. China's engagement with the world through the BRI has both benefits and costs, leading some countries to reassess their dependence on China.