Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has said that Italy made an “improvised and atrocious” decision when it joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative four years ago, as it did little to boost exports.
Mr. Crosetto stated this in an interview published on Sunday.
Italy signed up to the plan under a previous government, becoming the only major Western country to have taken such a step.
The Defence Minister is part of an administration that is considering how to break free of the agreement.
The belt and road scheme envisions rebuilding the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond with large infrastructure spending.
Mr. Crosetto said joining the project was an ‘atrocious act’ that multiplied China’s exports to Italy but did little to boost Italian exports to China
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