Italian, Chinese police to jointly patrol tourist attractions in both countries

Italian police are joining their Chinese counterparts to conduct patrols in four Chinese cities from Monday to July 5.

The operation is expected to provide better public security services and raise the confidence of both countries' citizens when traveling.

Invited by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security, the eight Italian policemen will carry out joint patrols of tourist attractions in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Guangzhou.

During the operation, the Italian police officers will not carry weapons or police equipment, according to Chinese laws. They will cooperate with Chinese police to provide assistance and advice in handling safety problems concerning Italian tourists visiting China.

It is the third time that Italy has sent police to China for joint patrols since the first group came to Beijing and Shanghai in 2017.

In turn, China has sent three groups of officers to jointly patrol Italian cities. This September, the fourth group of Chinese officers will travel to Italian cities, including Rome and Milan, to assist their local counterparts with safety issues relating to Chinese citizens.

They will set up a hotline for Chinese nationals and visit local Chinese communities and Chinese-funded enterprises and institutions. They will also listen to the security situations and needs of Chinese to better protect their safety abroad, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

"The joint patrol manifests the great importance attached by the two governments to law enforcement cooperation and the close relationship between the two countries," said Tan Jun, a senior officer with the international cooperation department of the Ministry of Public Security.

He said such exercises promote mutual learning of law enforcement concepts, and friendship and understanding while maintaining the safety of tourists traveling in both countries.

Pan Xuhong, deputy director of the Beijing Public Security Bureau, said on Monday that the Sino-Italian relationship has continued to develop with more frequent and closer trade in recent years.

"As a result, people from both countries are demanding stronger cooperation in law enforcement to crack down on crimes and effectively protect their personal and property safety," he said. "We hope that the police from the two countries can further strengthen the exchange of law enforcement practice and better understand each other's legal systems and policing models."

Ettore Francesco Sequi, the Italian ambassador to the People's Republic of China, said this year's joint police patrol is very meaningful as the Sino-Italian relationship is at an important juncture.

He pointed out that President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Italy in March, and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in April.

This year also marks the 15th year of the strategic partnership between the two governments, and 2020 is the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the two countries' diplomatic relations. The year 2020 will also be a joint tourism promotional year for both nations, he added.

"What we're celebrating today is unique and drives further the relationship between the two countries, "Sequi said. "There is currently no such two-way patrol project in the world, which also shows that our cooperation is very close and friendly."