Chinese premier Wen Jiabao kicked off his three-day trip to Britain with a tour of the house where William Shakespeare was born.
Mr Wen, who will meet with Prime Minister David Cameron for talks on Monday, was said to have shown great knowledge of Shakespeare's works during an hour-long visit to Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire.
The Chinese leader flew into Birmingham Airport last night for a trip intended to boost China's commercial, economic and political links with Britain.
During his visit to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Mr Wen made a joke about Hamlet and was presented with a sprig of rosemary whilst watching a performance of extracts from the play.
The premier, accompanied by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, was also shown the room where Shakespeare is believed to have been born, and viewed a folio of his plays dating back to 1623.
Speaking after Mr Wen had completed the tour, the director of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Dr Diana Owen, said the charity was greatly honoured to have hosted such an important guest.
Dr Owen told the Press Association: "He said that Shakespeare belonged to the world and not just to Britain, and was the greatest writer of all time. He also hoped that the British people would become interested in studying Chinese literature in the same way that the Chinese people are interested in Shakespeare."
During the "relaxed and informal" tour, Mr Wen was said to have shown a deep interest in Shakespeare's life and ended up staying half an hour longer than planned.
Around 400,000 people tour Shakespeare's birthplace each year and it is hoped that Mr Wen's visit may increase the already keen interest shown by visitors from China.
Eileen Gao, who translated for the Premier during the event, said almost everyone in China had heard of Shakespeare. "The premier was interested in everything to do with Shakespeare's life. He has studied Shakespeare at length," she said.
