Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Rome on Thursday evening at the start of a whistlestop European tour amid growing Western unease over the economic giant's new Silk Road project.

Xi descended from his Air China Boeing 747 with first lady Peng Liyuan at Rome's Fiumicino airport before being whisked off to their hotel in the Italian capital, AFPTV reported.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is to sign a memorandum of understanding with Xi on Saturday for Italy to join the $1 trillion Belt and Road Initiative, the first G7 member to do so.

Xi is to meet his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella on Friday during a trip that will also take in parliament and the Colosseum.

Around 1,000 extra police have been deployed around Rome for the state visit before Xi heads to Palermo, where his singer wife reportedly wants to see the Teatro Massimo opera house.

NATO member Italy's plan to join China's ambitious maritime, rail and road venture, which critics warn mainly benefits Chinese firms, has raised eyebrows among Western allies and within Italy.

The United States has also warned European allies that China's Huawei could use its next generation 5G technology as a "backdoor" for spying.

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China's Xi to visit Italy, France as Rome joins 'new Silk Road'
Beijing (AFP) March 18, 2019
Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Italy, Monaco and France this week, the foreign ministry said Monday, with Rome expected to join his global trade infrastructure programme despite reservations in other European countries. Beijing has financed infrastructure, maritime, rail and road projects in Asia, Africa and Europe, but critics warn that it mainly benefits Chinese firms while setting up a "debt trap" in more financially vulnerable countries. Xi will pay state visits from Thursday to ... read more