Despite concerns raised by the U.S. and the European Union, Italy has signed a non-binding protocol with China to take part in Beijing's "Belt and Road" Initiative of transport and trade links stretching from Asia to Europe.
In doing so, Italy became the first G7 country to sign up for the massive project.
Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte( ) signed the memorandum of understanding in Rome on Saturday.
Established in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative... which is dubbed as the modern "Silk Road" project has the participation of some 150 countries, according to Beijing, and is now worth some 880 million U.S. dollars.