In recent years, because of strengthened cooperation and negotiation between the Chinese Government and other countries and between relevant Chinese institutions and their foreign counterparts, China has managed several times to reclaim stolen cultural relics in accordance with international conventions, international practice and through judicial channels.

We badly need to establish an international tracking mechanism. Apart from actively participating in international conventions and in extensive cooperation with organizations such as the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the International Council of Museums, the International Criminal Police Organization and the World Customs Organization, as well as large museums and big auction houses, we should develop more channels to reclaim cultural relics overseas. For example, relevant institutions should further strengthen connections with embassies of other countries, to inform them of robberies and newly found stolen cultural relics in a timely way. If necessary, talks may be held so as to better coordinate investigations and settlement of criminal cases. But it is really difficult to recover those relics held by private collectors.

In the past, many international treaties on cultural relics have been drafted by Western countries but some treaties have tended to protect present owners of stolen cultural relics. How should we cope with this situation?

The nature of how to deal with stolen cultural relics housed in overseas museums is actually how to deal with "cultural internationalism." The international heritage concept advocates cultural relics belong to the whole of mankind and therefore all legally owned cultural relics should be available to the whole of mankind to the greatest extent. Of course, this kind of thinking used to help imperialists rob other nations and countries of their cultural relics.

Despite this, if the lost cultural relics, whose possession by other countries has now been legalized, are under high-level preservation orders and displayed well, the significance of their current situation can't be denied. As far as I know, for example, Chinese cultural relics displays in Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum of Canada have now become a window for overseas Chinese to remind their children of their motherland and for foreign friends to learn more about Chinese history and culture.

Furthermore, for us, to reclaim stolen cultural relics is important, but the more urgent task is how to protect well, manage and exhibit the cultural relics we ourselves hold. We have unearthed many cultural relics in past years, but most of them are lying in dusty warehouses. We should also pay attention to these cultural relics, so that their value can be fully tapped.

A Faraway Fortune

According to UNESCO's incomplete statistics, there are no less than 1 million items of Chinese antiquity housed in more than 200 overseas museums in 47 countries, while the number of those in the hands of private collectors overseas could be 10 times greater.

China began to lose large quantities of antiques and treasures from the Opium War in 1840, mainly through pillage, but also as "archaeological findings" brought back to Europe by explorers, and through illegal trafficking between Chinese warlords and overseas antiquaries.

China has reclaimed part of its treasures lost overseas through legal and diplomatic means by government, purchases at overseas auctions by museums, and donations by overseas Chinese or foreign friends.

Up to June 25, 2009, China had signed bilateral agreements with Peru, India, Italy, the Philippines, Greece, Chile, Cyprus, Venezuela, the United States and Turkey on the prevention of theft, illegal excavation and illegal trafficking of cultural properties.

Shan Jixiang, Director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, avers purchase overseas of relics and antiquities from illegal excavations is not "patriotism," but connivance over illicit excavation and trafficking.

(Source: The State Administration of Cultural Heritage)