At about 10 p.m., 6 October local time, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in Rome by special plane to pay a two-day official visit to Italy.

Senior officials from the Italian government as well as Chinese Ambassador to Italy Ding Wei and other officials greeted Wen at the airport.

Italy is the third leg of Wen's four-nation tour, which has already taken him to Greece and Belgium. He will also visit Turkey. During his stay in Brussels, the Chinese premier attended the 8th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the 13th China-European Union (EU) summit.

Upon Premier Wen leaving Brussels, the senior officials from the Belgian government, Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Zhang Yuanyuan, Head of the Chinese Mission to the EU Song Zhe and other officials saw him off at the airport.