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Added on the 24/03/2019 09:00:40 - Copyright : Euronews EN
Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Italy, where the government is keen to join Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative. The colossal trade and infrastructure project is set to strengthen economic ties across continents but scepticism abounds over China's real aims. Xi's visit comes as EU leaders are set to discuss ways to limit Beijing's influence at their summit dinner in Brussels. Plus, pressure mounts on Boeing and the FAA over the 737 MAX planes following two fatal crashes.
China's President Xi Jinping has arrived in Italy, where he and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on Saturday. But ideas such as opening up key ports to Chinese investment are raising concern over the possible threat they could pose to national interests. Far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini says endorsing the BRI could lead to the "colonisation" of Italy.
A new cargo train will connect Italy and China directly, and the first service departed from the northern Italian city of Mortara on Tuesday, bound for China's Chengdu. The 11,000-killometer, or 6,800 mile, route stretches across the territories of Poland, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan before crossing all of Western China to arrive in Chengdu. The trip takes around 18 days, almost 20 days less than shipping the cargo by sea. The train consists of 17 coaches and 34 containers which can carry equipment, electronics, furniture, and cars.
Brussels has presented a "true alternative" project to rival Beijing's massive Road and Belt Initiative.
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