China Recovered over 1,000 Relics Taken to Italy and the US

Beijing, (Prensa Latina) China repatriated this year 1,157 relics taken to Italy and the United States by means of smuggling, which it is proposed to curb in cooperation with the help of several countries, the National Administration of Cultural Heritage reported on Wednesday.

The president of that institution, Liu Yuzhu, said it is the highest quantity of objects recovered since 1998, when the country brought back 3,000 pieces that were stolen and sent to the United Kingdom.

According to Yuzhu, the operation is a result of agreements of cooperation that China sustains with Rome and Washington D.C. and is expecting the return of more relics because similar agreements exist with 20 other nations in Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia.

Those pacts also have as an objective to end the illegal excavation and trafficking of heritage treasures. Furthermore, China wishes to broaden widen agreements to include the management of museums, archeology, development of high-tech processes and the preservation of excavated sites.