China: Investment needed says Mattarella

(ANSA) - Rome, March 21 - President Sergio Mattarella has said he hopes Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Italy will boost bilateral relations in several areas, including infrastructure. The Italian government is expected to sign a memorandum of agreement for China's Belt and Road Initiative during Xi's visit. "(We hope the visit) can lead to agreements, ideas, projects for the Italian-Chinese partnership to develop further," Mattarella told Chinese media after of the visit.
    "(Hopefully this will) also benefit cooperation between Europe and Asia, which needs an increasing volume of sustainable investment for infrastructure, to ensure a future of prosperity and peace for all the peoples of the two continents". The Belt and Road Initiative is a huge infrastructure plan that seeks to create a sort of modern Silk Road to better connect China to Europe and Africa. The United States has expressed reservations about Italy signing up to the plan. "Together with its European and international partners, Italy is committed to dialoguing with Europe to make it possible for companies on the two sides to operate in a fair way and to favour access to the respective markets, while protecting, in particular, the security of the investments and intellectual property, as well as fundamental standards and principles for the sustainability of the interventions in social, economic and environmental terms," Mattarella said.
    "The intensification of our economic relations must come through the creation of a climate that is as open and transparent as possible". Xi lands in Rome later on Thursday and is set to stay in Italy until Saturday as part of a trip that also takes in Monaco and France.