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.

In the first half of the year, global trade improved slightly, thanks to growth in Asia and the United States, while Europe lagged behind. Expectations for the second half of the year suggest that there will be no significant changes.