CovOps
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| Subject: SUCKER: Italy will be the first G7 country to join China’s controversial Belt and Road project Thu Mar 21, 2019 6:31 am | |
| During Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit to Italy starting tomorrow (March 21), the euro zone’s third-largest economy is expected to officially back the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China’s global push to extend its political and economic clout abroad. The move, which is alarming European allies and the US, bears the stamp of a relative newcomer to Italian politics: Michele Geraci. Xi’s visit to Italy, which will be followed by stops in Monaco and France (paywall), comes after discussions in Europe that have seen China labeled a “systemic rival” and amid efforts by the US to bar Chinese firms from participating in the roll-out of 5G telecom by allies over concerns about network security. Italy would be the first BRI member from the G7, a grouping of democratically governed advanced economies that has long played a role in shaping policy globally. The other members include France, Germany, the UK, Canada, the US, and Japan. A endorsement for BRI, a re-invention of the historic Silk Road trading routes launched by China in 2013, can signal the likelihood of a country breaking ranks with traditional allies to side with China over politically charged themes. More than 60 countries are involved in the initiative. The US has publicly criticized the Italian move.
https://qz.com/1572243/italy-to-sign-up-for-chinas-belt-and-road-project/ |
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