Italy is set the become the first G-7 country to join China’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative that comprises numerous large infrastructure projects aimed at uniting East and West, although many Western countries mostly see it as a way for China to increase its geopolitical power across the globe.
Even though the European Union (EU) is concerned about the Belt and Road Initiative and has recently adopted a more hostile stance toward China by labeling it a “systemic rival,” the populist Italian government is refusing to fall in line. The United States has also expressed concern about Italy’s decision, with one official stating that there is “no need for the Italian government to lend legitimacy to China’s infrastructure vanity project.” However, since neither the US nor the EU are offering Italy an alternative strategy for boosting its faltering economy, the country is bound to embrace Beijing’s initiative.
Read more: China Welcomes Italy Into Its Sphere Of Influence, Unnerving the E.U. and U.S.
