Italy Eyes Taiwan Chip Deals Ahead of Decision on China Pact
- Italy is only G-7 country that joined Belt and Road Initiative
- Officials signaled pact exit amid tech cooperation talks
Employees work inside a semiconductor factory in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Photographer: Maurice Tsai/Bloomberg
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Italian officials hinted in private talks with Taiwan that they may be willing to pull out of a controversial pact with China as they sought to secure help with semiconductors, according to people familiar with the issue.
Officials from Rome’s industry ministry discussed plans to increase cooperation on the production and export of semiconductors during recent meetings in Taipei, said the people who asked not to be named as the talks are not public. The officials told their Taiwanese counterparts that Italy may scrap its participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive global infrastructure program.