Italy wants to withdraw from the "One Belt, One Road" Project

Sino-Italian relations have reached a turning point. The Italian government plans to withdraw from the "One Belt, One Road" trade plan to thwart China.

Since Italian Prime Minister Meloni took power, the Italian government has begun to consider withdrawing from China's "One Belt, One Road" trade deal, Voice of America VOA reported on July 6th.

In this context, the Italian parliament also wants to discuss whether to withdraw from the agreement. The recent successive visits of Chinese officials to Italy have been on the agenda in the Italian media.

Wang Lutong, head of the European affairs department of China's foreign ministry, visited Italy in May to discuss renewing the agreement on China's "One Belt, One Road" trade plan.

At the end of June, Liu Jianchao, director of the International Communications Department of the CCP Central Committee, led a CCP delegation and

lobbied in Italy, during which he met with Italian politicians and businessmen. Chinese officials had tried to persuade the government to consider not withdrawing Italy from the "One Belt, One Road" trade plan.

The details of the talks held by the Chinese authorities in Italy were first revealed by the Italian media, while the Chinese media published the news about the visit only after the visit was over.

According to Chinese media, Liu Jianchao, director of the International Communications Department of the CCP Central Committee, first went to Milan, the economic center of northern Italy, to meet with relevant people in the Italian business world and tried to explain that he was against breaking the supply chain.

It is known that a five-year "One Belt, One Road" memorandum of understanding was signed between the two countries during Xi Jinping's visit to Italy in 2019. On the other hand, Italy is the only G7 country to sign the memorandum of understanding on China's "One Belt, One Road" trade plan.

Chinese officials have long viewed Italy as a model country for cooperation between China and the West. Currently, the European Union has designated China as a "systemic competitor" and after the Italian general elections in 2022, the Italian government's attitude towards China had completely changed. If Italy, which is trying to avoid various risks in European countries, withdraws from the said agreement, the "One Belt One Road" memorandum of understanding may not be renewed and this move may be a turning point in Sino-Italian relations.