Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who will visit the White House on Thursday, said that U.S. President Joe Biden had never challenged her on the issue of Rome being part of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

ROME, July 23 (Reuters) - Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who will visit the White House on Thursday, said that U.S. President Joe Biden had never challenged her on the issue of Rome being part of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Meloni leads the only major Western country to have joined China’s BRI scheme, which envisions rebuilding the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond with large infrastructure spending.

  • BartsBigBugBagEnglish
    1·
    2 years ago

    Well that answers literally not a single one of the questions I asked, but thanks! So is it a debt trap? Or is it a soft power play? If they’re forgiving the debts in exchange for soft power, while allowing the nation to maintain sovereignty over the infrastructure, then how is it a debt trap? If it’s a debt trap, then why are they forgiving the loans?