Italy’s officially joining the China-led Belt and Road Initiative sparked a fierce debate. By analysing five fields of cooperation, the volume sheds light on whether the bilateral agreement has brought about an intensification of bilateral collaboration as wished by the Italian government as the time and whether the concerns around it have materialized.

Transit time and possible transport China’s trade with the Global South is growing significantly, driven on the one hand by the China Plus One strategy and on the other by the development of new markets. But many challenges remain.