‘Wicked Scheme’: Italian Defence Minister Laments Nation Joining Xi’s BRI Project

Guido Crosetto, the Italian defence minister, decried Italy’s decision to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on Sunday.

Italy signed up for the BRI in 2019 during the tenure of former prime minister Giuseppe Conte. Guido Crosetto, speaking to Italian news media outlet Corriere della Sera, said the decision to join the BRI was ‘wicked’ and it has failed to help the country’s exports.

The global infrastructure programme kicked-off by Xi Jinping in 2013 is an infrastructure investment program established to rebuild China’s Silk Road and reconnect Asia with Africa and Europe while increasing trade and economic growth.

However, even as China has spent millions of dollars into infrastructure projects in Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Sri Lanka, along West Africa and provide telecom infrastructure for Latin Americans and southeast Asians, experts see the BRI as a tool for spreading Chinese influence across the world.

Italy is the only major Western nation and the only nation from the G7 group of advanced economies to join the BRI. “The choice to join the Silk Road was an improvised and wicked act, made by the government of Giuseppe Conte, which led to a double negative result,” Crosetto was quoted as saying by the Corriere della Sera.

“We have exported a load of oranges to China, they have tripled their exports to Italy in three years. The most ridiculous thing then was that Paris, without signing any treaties, in those days sold planes to Beijing for tens of billions,” he further added.

Crosetto said the question Italy faces now is how to withdraw from the BRI without damaging relations with Beijing. “(Beijing) is a competitor, but also a partner,” Crosetto was quoted as saying by the news outlet.

Italy will cease to be a member of the BRI once its membership expires in 2024. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Rome and Beijing could have “good relations” with each outside the BRI scheme.