Chinese police to stop tourists being ripped off in Venice
Venice has for the first time invited Chinese police officers to patrol its canal banks and winding alleyways, in a bid to stop tourists falling prey to thieves.
Two Chinese officers - one from Shanghai, the other from Beijing - have spent the past few weeks conducting joint patrols in the lagoon city with their Italian counterparts.
The unusual sight of officers from the People's Republic attracted crowds of selfie-snapping tourists when they appeared in St Mark's Square and on a police launch on the Grand Canal recently.
Their role was to help the growing number of Chinese tourists who descend on Venice, whose lack of Italian or English means they are often vulnerable to being ripped off, especially in over-priced restaurants. About 3-million Chinese tourists visit Italy each year.
Chinese police will also be deployed this year to the city of Prato in Tuscany, a major textile-producing hub with a large Chinese population...
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