ROME/BEIJING - A strategic partnership between Italy and China would be more valuable than a deal such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday in an address to Parliament.

In 2019, Italy became the first major Western nation to join China’s BRI, a global trade and infrastructure initiative modelled on the Silk Road, a network of trade routes that linked imperial China and the West millennia ago.

Mr Tajani’s comments, which come after his visit to Beijing earlier this week, give an indication of how Italy might seek to resolve a difficult diplomatic call on whether to withdraw from the accord.

Italy has expressed doubts over its membership and has until December to formally withdraw from the accord, which expires in March 2024. Otherwise, it will be extended for another five years.

“A strategic partnership involves all sectors, so it is more important than single bilateral agreements such as the Silk Road (BRI), which so far is unsatisfactory in terms of exports and investment,” Mr Tajani said.

China said it is willing to work with Italy to improve trade and investment ties, a spokesman at the commerce ministry said on Thursday.

Both sides have reached consensus on further improving the level of trade and facilitating two-way investment, ministry spokesman He Yadong told reporters when asked about Mr Tajani’s visit.

Since the BRI’s launch by President Xi Jinping in 2013, more than 100 countries and territories have signed individual agreements with China to cooperate on infrastructure and building projects.

An Italian official close to the matter said that during his visit to China, Mr Tajani signalled the possibility for Italy to pull out from the BRI deal while stressing his desire to keep strong ties with Beijing.

The visit was also meant to show high respect for the current Chinese leadership, which is facing challenging economic issues, and avoid retaliation for an eventual departure from the BRI.

On Wednesday, Mr Tajani reiterated that the Italian government would consult Parliament before making a final decision on its position on the issue.

After meeting Mr Tajani in Beijing on Monday, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that cooperation with Italy had been fruitful despite Italian scepticism. REUTERS