ROME: Italy has withdrawn from China’s vast Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, more than four years after becoming the only G7 nation to sign up, a government source said on Wednesday.

The long-expected decision was communicated to Beijing three days ago, according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, which first broke the news.

Neither side has published an official communication, but an Italian government source confirmed to AFP that Rome had pulled out.

The source gave no details beyond saying it was done in such a way as to “keep channels of political dialogue open”.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has long been opposed to Italy’s participation in an initiative viewed by many as an attempt by Beijing to buy political influence — and whose benefits to Rome were limited.

The deal was due to automatically renew in March 2024 unless Italy opted out by the end of this year.

But Meloni and her hard-right government were also wary of provoking Beijing and risking retaliation against Italian companies. She told reporters at the G20 summit in Delhi in September that should Rome leave the project, it “would not compromise relations with China”.

Meanwhile, Washington has warned that China could use the initiative as a pretext to build up military bases around the world in the name of protecting BRI investments.

Italy, a member of the European Union, the G7 grouping of advanced economies and Nato, signed up in 2019 under the government of then prime minister Giuseppe Conte. Before taking office in October 2022, Meloni said that was a “mistake”.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2023