Italy is highly unlikely to renew its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) deal with China, which expires early next year, but needs time to discuss the issue with Beijing, Reuters has quoted a senior govt official as saying. The official said a formal decision would not be made ahead of this month’s Group of Seven summit in Japan, adding that it was a highly sensitive topic.

Italy in 2019 became the first and so far only G7 nation to join the BRI programme.