The premiers regard each other as "good friends," and art has drawn them even closer.

When Premier Wen Jiabao and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi stepped into the exhibition hall of the National Art Museum of China in Beijing at 4:15 pm yesterday, they looked more like art aficionados than statesmen in the spotlight.

They talked about the 20th century Italian art on display at the museum, which is represented by works from the Giovanardi collection among them masterpieces by Osvaldo Licini, Massimo Campigli and Giorgio Morandi.

Stopping in front of an oil painting called "Creator Man", a 1928 work by Alberto Martini, Wen listened carefully as Prodi spoke about the piece for almost 3 minutes. The frequent nods and smiles clearly told his guest that he took great interest in Italian art.

"Both China and Italy have been blessed with ancient and modern civilizations," Wen said at a joint news conference with Prodi yesterday. "I consider Prodi my good friend. And talks between us are like those between two friends."

Responding to his host, Prodi said the visit has made him feel that Wen is a "real friend."

The Italian Year in China is currently being celebrated, and an exhibition "Figures and Images of 20th Century Italy" organized by the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto (MART) is on at the famous Chinese museum.

Source: China Daily