Image copyright AP Image caption Before their arrival, the officers received training from Italian officials in Beijing

Four Chinese police officers will patrol alongside Italian police in Rome and Milan, as a two-week experiment.

The officers, who speak Italian, are being sent in a bid to make Chinese tourists feel safe during the peak tourism period, said Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano.

"If the experiment is successful, we will expand it to other cities in Italy," he said.

Around three million Chinese tourists visit Italy annually.

Mr Alfano said that Italian officers would also soon be heading to Beijing and Shanghai to patrol alongside Chinese officers.