Italy and China Forge New Links

As we know, on the occasion of the recent State visit to Italy of the President of the People’s Republic of China, three Memoranda of Understanding have been signed, regarding the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), e-commerce and startups.
The agreements are part of the 29 deals signed by Italy and China in the trade, industry, infrastructure and financial sectors, in order to promote a strengthening of economic and trade relationships between the two countries.
Particularly, by signing the Memorandum of Understanding relative to the Belt and Road Initiative, the Italian Government reached a framework agreement meant to identify purposes, principles and methods of cooperation in the great project of inter-Asian connectivity. A project which Italy considers very favourably even on account of its strategic position in the Mediterranean.
The Italian Government promises to activate a careful monitoring of the single cooperation initiatives which will be set up, in order to guarantee that they will always focus on national interests and on the protection of strategic infrastructures.
The aims which our country pursues by undersigning this Memorandum are especially strengthening exports towards the Chinese market, getting our companies involved in the creation of infrastructural projects along the new Silk Route, and the inclusion of our harbours in international trade routes.The United States and the EU took critical stands regarding the agreement, but the Italian Government underlined that the Memorandum of Understanding is in line with the policies adapted by the EU regarding China and actually safeguards them.