Italy Withdraws from China's Belt and Road Initiative, Prompting Warning from China

China has criticized the withdrawal of Italy, its only major Western partner, from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), warning against "undermining" the project. Italy, the first G7 nation to join the initiative, notified China of its plan to exit in 2024. The BRI, which aims to recreate ancient trade routes through massive infrastructure investments, has faced criticism for potentially increasing China's geopolitical influence and burdening poorer countries with unsustainable debts. Despite leaving the BRI, Italy intends to maintain strong relations with China.