Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani will begin an official visit to China tomorrow, September 3. (Source: CNBC)

According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani will pay an official visit to China from September 3-5, at the invitation of Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Mr. Antonio Tajani is expected to attend the 11th joint meeting of the China-Italy Government Commission.

Speaking at the Ambrosetti economic forum shortly before leaving for Beijing, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said trade between his country and China had not improved as expected since Rome joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) four years ago.

Many parties in Italy oppose Rome's participation in the BRI. The head of Italy's foreign ministry said: "This Silk Road has not brought the results we expected. We will have to evaluate, the parliament will have to decide whether to continue participating or not."

In 2019, the boot-shaped country sent shockwaves across the Western world when it signed up to the BRI - Beijing's ambitious infrastructure and investment plan to increase its influence around the world.

When former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi took power in Rome in 2021, he froze the deal. Two years on and with a new government in place, Italy is now thinking differently about its relationship with China.

“Italy’s message is very clear: we want to cooperate with China, we want to be present in the Chinese market, we are open to Chinese investment, but as I said, it is important to have a level playing field,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said.

Rome is expected to announce in the coming months whether it will formally end its involvement in the landmark Chinese project.

Under the agreement, the two sides can terminate the agreement after five years, otherwise the partnership will be extended for another five years. The European country has until the end of 2023 to notify China whether it wants to terminate the agreement.

Regarding the upcoming visit to China, Mr. Tajani shared that the trip will not be difficult but “important for us”.