Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has briefed U.S. President Joe Biden on her plan to curb Italy’s reliance on China and to establish balanced ties with the Asian country, as she mulls a strategy to disentangle from a controversial investment pact.
"If you think that the U.S. demands or imposes the policy on this, you are wrong. The conversation is broad and involves all G7 countries and it is about de-risking from supply chain dependence on China, which is a priority,” the prime minister told reporters after a meeting at the Oval Office with Biden on Thursday. "The U.S. knows we are trustworthy.”
Meloni added that a decision on the Belt and Road initiative pact will be taken by the end of the year. "It is crucial to keep a constructive dialog open with Beijing,” she said.