CHINA has dispatched a senior diplomat to Italy to persuade the only G7 nation to join President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road transport pact to remain a member, reports Bloomberg.
Liu Jianchao, director of the Communist Party's International Department, held meetings with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Senate speaker Ignazio La Russa and former prime minister Massimo D'Alema, according to the department's readouts. He also met with group known as "Friends of China" in Italy's parliament, during a three-day visit.
"It was the correct decision for China and Italy to sign the Belt and Road," Mr Liu said during a session with business people in Milan this week.
Italy signed onto China's massive BRI in 2019 when Giuseppe Conte was prime minister, becoming the only Group of Seven nation to join the pact.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni plans to leave the infrastructure initiative. Participation will automatically renew in 2024 unless Rome exits the agreement.
Ms Meloni told lawmakers that Italy can have excellent relations with China without being part of the initiative. "There are ongoing evaluations," she said. "The issue must be handled carefully and respectfully, also involving the parliament."
Jia Guide, Chinese ambassador to Italy, warned in an interview with Italian news outlet Fanpage last week that there would "negative consequences" if Rome "recklessly decides" to withdraw.
Mr Liu's appeal to the Italians comes after Chinese Premier Li Qiang earlier this month travelled to Europe in his first overseas trip as China's No 2 official. His meetings with business and political leaders in Germany and France came as the European Union hammers out its position on how to manage economic rivalry with China.
Beijing is trying to persuade Europe to take a less hawkish stance than the US, which has imposed export controls on China to curb its access to advanced technology.
Italy has been caught in the middle of those escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing, especially in the wake of China's support for Russian President Vladimir Putin after his invasion of Ukraine. The US wants Italy to quit Belt and Road.