According to sources cited by Bloomberg, the Italian government is in favor of withdrawing from China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Prime Minister announced this Georgia Meloni US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during his visit to Rome last week, though no final decision has yet been made. Meloni’s spokesperson declined to comment, and McCarthy’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Italy joined his initiative China Infrastructure in 2019 under the leadership of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, becoming the only G7 country to take part. Membership will automatically renew in 2024 unless Rome withdraws.

The US has been actively pushing Rome to take a public stand on the issue and back out of the deal, according to sources who asked not to be named.

Meloni’s advisers are still discussing the details and timing of a possible solution, fearing economic retribution from China, and nothing will likely be known until the G7 leaders’ summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 19, Bloomberg emphasizes.

The possible move is closely linked to Meloni’s stance on Chinese investment in Italy and, in particular, the upcoming decision to potentially limit the influence of China’s Sinochem Holdings, the largest shareholder in tire maker Pirelli. The decision has been postponed until the end of May.