Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US President Joe Biden, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attend the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. EPA-EFE/FILIP SINGER

News

24 July 2023

Meloni may signal plan to exit China Pact during US visit

Bloomberg

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni could notify the US as soon as this week about her plan to pull Italy out of a controversial investment pact with China, according to people familiar with the matter.

Meloni is set to discuss the issue when she meets US President Joe Biden at the White House later this week, the people said, cautioning that a final decision has not been taken yet.

The plan was previously reported by daily La Repubblica. A spokesperson for the Italian government declined to comment.Italy signed onto the infrastructure initiative in 2019 when Giuseppe Conte was premier, becoming the only Group of Seven country to join.

While Meloni, elected at the end of last year, has opposed the deal she’s struggled to take a clear line, possibly wary of retaliation from China. The pact renews automatically in 2024 unless Rome acts to pull out.