More Italy in China, more China in Italy: Italian ambassador

Italy's immediate response to the earthquake in Sichuan province and its support for China's relief efforts is a testimony to the solid friendship of the two nations, Italian ambassador to China Riccardo Sessa said yesterday.

"Italy has stood next to China since the very beginning of the disaster. We want our Chinese friends to know that Italy will always be ready to help," Sessa said in an interview with China Daily on the eve of Italy's National Day.

Sessa, who personally went to Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan, to receive relief assistance from Italy, said his visit to the quake-hit areas gave him the opportunity to understand firsthand the scale of the damage and the severity of the event.

"I talked to the local authorities from whom I got the idea that China needs not only our commiseration but also concrete and immediate help," he said.

The third Italian humanitarian flight recently arrived in Chengdu, carrying a field hospital fully equipped with medical equipment and supplies.

Italy has also offered financial contributions amounting to one million euros ($1.5 million) and provided tents, blankets, high-energy food and first-aid kits which can be used for up to 10,000 patients.

Many cultural monuments and relics in Sichuan province were damaged or destroyed by the quake, with the restoration and rehabilitation of the endangered cultural heritage items seen as a major challenge to China's reconstruction efforts.

Italy is ready to assist China in this aspect as well, Sessa said. "Italy has great expertise in the restoration of cultural relics," said the ambassador.

Italy can also offer help in urban planning, as many towns near the quake's epicenter need to be relocated and rebuilt. Similarly, Italian companies in Sichuan can help with the economic recovery through the enlargement of Italian investment, Sessa added.

The ambassador expressed confidence over the future of Italy-China relations. He said he and Sun Yuxi, Chinese ambassador to Italy, need to promote not only their own countries but also help them better understand each other.

"As the ambassador, my motto has always been 'More Italy in China' and 'More China in Italy'. So, in a sense, I am ambassador not only of Italy but also of China," he said.

(China Daily 06/02/2008 page6)