Introduction

March 2019. Italy's then Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping to Rome. The visit marks an unprecedented turning point in Sino-Italian relations, as the two parties are going to sign the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation within the Framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative (Governo della Repubblica Italiana e Governo della Repubblica Popolare Cinese, 2019). The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aims to boost cooperation between Italy and China in six main fields: (i) policy dialogue; (ii) transport, logistics and infrastructure; (iii) unhindered trade and investment; (iv) financial cooperation; (v) people-to-people connectivity; and (vi) cooperation in green development. As the document's text overtly states, the MoU is non-binding at a legal level; however, its political relevance is massive, as Italy becomes the first G7 country to sign such an agreement. The echo of Xi's visit to Rome hits the headlines worldwide, stirring alarm, especially among Italy's Atlantic partners (Giuffrida, 2019). The MoU for adhesion to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has an equally disrupting impact at the domestic level. Negotiations over the MoU primarily occur in private spaces; however, a heated debate breaks out when the first fragmentary news about plans concerning an agreement with China emerges. In this context, MoVimento 5 Stelle (Five Star Movement, M5S) and Lega (League), the two majority parties supporting the Conte I government (June 2018– September 2019), cannot avoid reporting on the MoU to the Italian parliament.