onsdag 30. juni 2021

Italy’s Di Maio says ties to US more important than those to China

The United States is a much more important ally for Italy than China, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio affirmed Monday. During a news conference in Rome standing beside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Di Maio said Sino-Italian commercial ties "are absolutely incomparable with" Italy's alliance with the U.S. as well as partnerships with NATO and the EU.

The United States has previously expressed concerns about Italy's relationship with China, particularly after Di Maio helped sign his country up to Beijing's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative while serving as economic development minister in 2019.