[1/2] Italy's biggest container port Gioia Tauro is seen from a helicopter in the southern Italian region of Calabria, November 8, 2012. REUTERS/Alessandro BianchiROME, July 30 (Reuters) - Italy made an "improvised and atrocious" decision when it joined China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) four years ago as it did little to boost exports, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said in an interview published on Sunday. The BRI scheme envisions rebuilding the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond with large infrastructure spending. "The decision to join the (new) Silk Road was an improvised and atrocious act" that multiplied China's exports to Italy but did not have the same effect on Italian exports to China, Crosetto told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. Because it is true that China is a competitor, but it is also a partner," the defence minister added.

---

Persons: Gioia Tauro, Alessandro Bianchi ROME, Guido Crosetto, Crosetto, Joe Biden, Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, Alvise Armellini, David Evans Organizations: Gioia, REUTERS, Initiative, Italian, della Sera, TG5, Thomson Locations: Italian, Calabria, Italy, China, Asia, Europe, Beijing, TG5 Italian