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Italy, China Deepen Ties Under Wary Gaze of US, EU

Italy's head of state told visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday that China's new "Silk Road" linking Europe and Asia must be a "two-way street," addressing concerns among Western allies that the colossal infrastructure project is meant merely to amplify Beijing's global influence.

By COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press

Italian President Sergio Mattarella (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands after addressing a forum of businessmen on March 22 at the Quirinale presidential palace in Rome, as part of Xi Jinping's two-day visit to Italy. A bust of Augustus is seen behind. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / POOL / AFP)

MILAN (AP) — Italy's head of state told visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday that China's new "Silk Road" linking Europe and Asia must be a "two-way street," addressing concerns among Western allies that the colossal infrastructure project is meant merely to amplify Beijing's global influence.

During Xi's two-day official state visit, Italy is expected to become the first major democracy to sign a memorandum of understanding to join China's "Belt and Road" initiative. The program aims to invest in ports, roads, airports and railways in Asia, Africa and Europe to create a conduit for trade and China's construction industry. Both the United States and Italy's European partners, however, see it as a threat as China seeks to project its power.

While Xi was getting the red-carpet honors in Rome, the European Union said Friday it was preparing its own strategy to counter growing Chinese influence, described as a "systemic rival."

The EU is, among other things, worried about unfair competition from Chinese companies, which are controlled by the Chinese government and benefit from the state's financial backing.

The U.S., meanwhile, is in a trade war with China, imposing tariffs on billions of euros on each other's goods, and wants to limit China's ambitions to dominate future technologies. Both the U.S. and Europe complain that China forces foreign companies to give up technological know-how in exchange for a presence in the country.

Xi's visit to Italy is expected to produce dozens of deals worth billions of euros alongside the infrastructure framework covering cultural exchanges, sports cooperation and business deals.

Mattarella told a joint press conference with Xi after their meeting that the infrastructure initiative is "the ideal framework for increasing joint collaboration," to stimulate Chinese investments in Italy and open the Chinese market to Italian exports. But he also addressed concerns that China's state apparatus would be the real winner.

"The old Silk Road was an instrument of knowledge among peoples, of sharing, and of mutual discoveries. So, too, the new one must be a two-way street, along which travel not only merchandise but also ideas, talents, knowledge, long-term solutions to common problems and future projects," Mattarella said.

He said both countries could reap the benefits of economic cooperation "founded on fair competition, respecting industrial and intellectual property and in the common fight against counterfeiting."

Xi told reporters that the importance of China's relationship with Italy went beyond bilateral ties.

"China appreciates Italy's willingness to play a positive role in developing a healthy and stable China-Europe relationship, and its devotion in pushing forward the connectivity of Asia and Europe," Xi said.

Xi and his wife, Peng Liuan, were greeted with full honors in the courtyard of the presidential palace, overseen by the regal guard while a band played the Chinese and Italian anthems.

Xi later also attended a wreath-laying ceremony at Italy's monument for the unknown soldier, and will visit parliament and attend a state dinner where Andrea Bocelli will perform. The state visit, reciprocating one by Mattarella two years ago, was being held under maximum security with large swaths of Rome closed.

But the centerpiece of the state visit will be Saturday's signing of a memorandum of understanding to make Italy the first Group of Seven and core EU nation to join China's "Belt and Road" project, which has so far seen investments totaling more than a trillion dollars.

Since Chinese Xi announced the ambitious project in 2013, it has been beleaguered with complaints that it saddles participating countries with debt while doing little to boost local economies. Projects in Nepal, Hungary and Myanmar have been cancelled or stalled as a result of either financing difficulties or violations of local regulations.

China expert Francesco Sisci said that Mattarella's emphasis on transparency indicates "that he fears there hasn't been enough transparency so far in relations between China and Italy. Allies may also have expressed to him their worries about how Italy is managing the new relationship with China."

"The accent is that Italy risks becoming a Trojan horse for the Chinese invasion," he said.

Sisci noted Italy's contrasting interests, between its ties to Western allies within the European Union and NATO, and its ambition to become a bridge linking Asia and Africa with Europe, while recouping investments for much-needed infrastructure projects and expanding its footprint in the huge Chinese market.

Chinese investments in Italy have totaled nearly $25 billion, officials said, well below that of other European nations. Britain, for example, has received investments worth 80 billion euros.

Italian exports into China, meanwhile, lag other nations by a decade or more, officials said, running at 13 billion euros compared with 20 billion euros for France and 87 billion euros for Germany.

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Sam Petrequin in Brussels contributed to this report.

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