Italy Says Its Relations With US Far More Important Than With China

Italy's Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio speaks during a news conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at Fiera Roma in Rome, Italy, on June 28, 2021. Andrew Harnik/Pool via Reuters

ROME—Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Monday that Rome’s relations with the United States are much more important than its ties with China.

The United States has expressed concern over Italy’s links to China, particularly after a previous Italian government signed up to Beijing’s Belt and Road infrastructure drive in 2019.