Italy officially left the Silk Road with a note delivered to Beijing in recent days . On the news, confirmed to news agencies by informed sources, a firm "no comment" is currently coming from Palazzo Chigi.
The move was preceded by a mission to China by the secretary general of the Farnesina Riccardo Guariglia in the summer and, followed by the visit of the Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani : meetings in which the intention to cultivate the strategic partnership between the two was confirmed Countries and in which, among others, the preparatory steps have been started for the visit of the head of state Sergio Mattarella to the country scheduled for next year.
The so-called Belt and Road Initiative, launched by Xi Jinping in 2013, is one of the cornerstones of the Dragon's plan to strengthen its economy through a network of infrastructures between three continents that promotes trade.
The memorandum with Italy - the only G7 country to join - was signed by the first Conte government in 2019. The executive led by Giorgia Meloni had to decide whether or not to renew it by the end of 2023 and, according to what we learn, now the official cancellation has arrived.
It will therefore need to be monitored to see if there are any commercial retaliations from Beijing, with the luxury sector among those most exposed . But to know the effects of the Dragon's reaction we will have to wait a few months.
(Unioneonline/vl)
