Italy’s Coronavirus Outbreak Puts Spotlight on China Ties

Italy’s Coronavirus Outbreak Puts Spotlight on China Ties
A man wearing a protective mask walks by a deserted Piazza di Spagna in central Rome, Italy, on March 12, 2020. Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images
Cathy He
Cathy He
EDITOR
|Updated:

The worsening coronavirus outbreak in Italy has led its government to re-evaluate its relationship with Beijing and align more with Washington, an expert said.

Almost a year after Italy became the first G-7 country to sign on to the Chinese regime’s flagship foreign policy project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, also known as One Belt, One Road)—drawing criticism from its Western allies—the country’s initial handling of the outbreak indicated a shift in relations.

Cathy He
Cathy He
EDITOR
Cathy He is the politics editor at the Washington D.C. bureau. She was previously an editor for U.S.-China and a reporter covering U.S.-China relations.
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