TAIPEI -- Taiwan is set to open a new de facto consulate in Milan, several months after the new Italian prime minister voiced support for the island democracy.
Italy has traditionally been a strong backer of China, being one of the few western powers to sign up to Beijing's flagship Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure program that stretches across Asia, Europe and Africa. In 2019, Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a memorandum of understanding about Italy's participation in the initiative.
