[CPProt.net] China: Reclaiming cultural relics from overseas

[Ellie Bruggeman]

Reclaiming cultural relics from overseas

    BEIJING, June 14 -- Cultural relic experts and NGOs have set the 
wheels in motion to begin reclaiming China's national treasures from 
abroad, said an article in Beijing Review. The following are excerpts 
from the article:

    On April 11, the China Cultural Relics Recovery Programme, funded by 
the China Foundation for the Development of Folklore Culture announced a 
large-scale programme to reclaim Chinese cultural relics scattered 
around the world.

    Xie Chensheng, a senior cultural heritage preservation expert, said, 
"Cultural wealth can be shared by the whole world, but not the 
ownership, just like the property rights on software. Ownership of lost 
Chinese cultural treasures should lie with the Chinese people."

    Although some national treasures have been recovered since the 
founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the large-scale 
programme recently announced by the China Cultural Relics Recovery 
Programme is the first of its kind in China.

    According to Zhang Yongnian, head of the programme, he and his 
colleagues will focus on items that were stolen, excavated or looted and 
trafficked abroad between 1840 and 1949.

    Statistics from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and 
Cultural Organization suggests about 1.67 million Chinese cultural 
relics are held by more than 200 foreign museums in 47 countries. Some 
estimates put the number of Chinese cultural relics of that kind 
collected by individuals at 10 times that figure.

    "It's time to reclaim our cultural relics from abroad," said Wang 
Weiming, director-general of the programme. "If we do not put forward 
our reclaiming request, I'm afraid there will be no hope for many 
cultural relics to return to China."

    But he is keen to stress this will not be an indiscriminate 
witch-hunt. He said: "We don't mean to retrieve all the Chinese relics 
collected in foreign museums. Our next step is to compile a list of 
relics that need to be returned and there is much research work to do."

    Jin Yunchang, a researcher at the Palace Museum in Beijing, said 
today's prices of cultural relics in the Chinese market have been geared 
to international standards and this has created a fair environment for 
China to compete on the world stage.

    Jiang Yingchun, curator of the Beijing Poly Art Museum, said the 
development of the Chinese economy and prosperity of the auction market 
in China in recent years have also provided favourable conditions for 
the return of cultural relics.

    Besides, with the blossoming of Chinese NGOs, many entrepreneurs 
have entered the cultural relics collection market and are gradually 
becoming a new force in the auction industry.

    "There are three approaches for reclaiming cultural relics, which 
are purchasing, donation and reclaiming through judicial procedures," 
said Wang Weiming. "Buyback is the main way. Private purchases make up 
over 80 per cent."

    According to him, some auction houses have accumulated much 
experience in reclaiming cultural relics and their process is simpler 
than that of governmental purchase. "Besides, because of the limited 
budget in this field of government operation, private purchases are the 
most feasible method to reclaim cultural relics from abroad at present," 
said Wang.

    Private entrepreneurs have become the main force behind these 
purchase groups. It is reported that private business people in Zhejiang 
Province contributed nearly 300 million yuan (US$36.2 million) towards 
purchasing Chinese cultural relics from abroad in 2004.

    Lu Hanzhen, CEO of Ningbo Jinlun Group Corp, is a representative of 
the Zhejiang syndicate.

    "Seeing so many Chinese cultural relics in other countries saddened 
me so I decided to reclaim as many as I could."

    Lu is not alone at overseas auctions. An insider said large travel 
agencies in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai have organised special travel 
groups of private entrepreneurs to fly to Europe and the United States 
to buy Chinese cultural relics in recent years.

    According to The Wall Street Journal, the Spring Auction, held in 
New York's Rockefeller Center, sold over US$10 million of Chinese 
cultural relics, most of which were bought by Chinese.

    All these indicate that private reclaiming efforts have become a 
major force in restoring relics to their place of origin.

    "A national consensus is coming into being between private and 
government efforts in reclaiming our national treasures," said Zhang 
Yongnian.

    And Zhang proposed the government support the efforts of private 
individuals in restoring China's cultural heritage. "However, it is not 
the only way to reclaim cultural relics. We should follow a rational set 
of principles to reclaim cultural relics with distinction," he said.

    Many cultural relics were lost over time to other countries in legal 
trades or friendly exchanges. "If these cultural relics are kept in 
foreign countries, we have no complaint because these relics show 
Chinese civilization and promote international cultural exchange," said 
Wang Shixiang, an expert at State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

    "However, we require those foreign governments to return for free 
Chinese cultural relics that were looted in the past by illegal 
methods," said Wang.

    According to Wang Weiming, the Chinese Government has subscribed to 
many different international conventions to protect cultural relics and 
to promote their return. In 1996, the government subscribed to a 
convention established by the International Institute for the 
Unification of Private Laws which stated the Chinese Government had the 
right to reclaim those cultural relics illegally looted in the past.

    However, the road to reclaiming relics from abroad will be complex 
and long. Professor Su Bai at Peking University knows as much. "It needs 
much systemic research work because it is intertwined with issues of 
diplomacy, law, policy, funds, market, professional technology or 
personnel."

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