Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government in Rome has officially informed Beijing that Italy is withdrawing from the Communist Party government’s Belt and Road global domination scheme.
Following weeks of negotiations, Italy sent a letter to China stating its intentions to formally withdraw from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Xi Jinping’s pet project to expand Chinese influence throughout the world. The letter was said to have been sent to Beijing several days ago but was not made public until a report on Wednesday from the Milan newspaper Corriere della Sera.
While Rome had attempted to modify its agreement before the renewal deadline set for the end of the year, Meloni’s overtures were ultimately rejected by the communist government, precipitating the decision to leave the partnership with China.
The Belt and Road scheme has been labelled by international observers as a policy of “debt-trap diplomacy”, with the CCP using predatory loans for infrastructure projects in developing nations throughout Asia, Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe as a means of exerting political influence. The BRI also often sees China seize large swaths of territory or…
Read the full article here