Britain has returned 12 Chinese cultural relics and artworks seized by London police, following cooperation between the two countries under a UNESCO convention.
Britain returned 12 cultural relics and artworks to China at a handover ceremony at the Chinese Embassy in London on Wednesday evening.
The Metropolitan Police seized the items during investigations. China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration later identified them as Chinese cultural property.
The Chinese side said the return was another result of cooperation between China and the UK under relevant international conventions. It said returning lost cultural relics to their countries of origin helps protect cultural heritage and the shared heritage of human civilisation.
Meanwhile, the British side described the return as a positive outcome of practical cooperation between the two countries. It also said the handover reflected their mutual respect and commitment to combating the illicit trafficking of cultural relics.
China and the UK are both parties to the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.
Under the convention, China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration worked with the British side through the Chinese Embassy in the UK. As a result, the 12 cultural relics and artworks were successfully returned to China.
The Chinese side said it hopes to use the cooperation as an opportunity to further promote cultural exchanges between the two countries. It also hopes to implement the important consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders during their recent phone call.
Additional reporting by CNS.
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