An archaeologist clears up a piece of cultural relic unearthed from ancient shipwrecks discovered in the South China Sea, Oct. 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

China has released a guideline to boost scientific and technological innovation related to cultural relics, according to the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA).

The guideline, jointly issued by departments including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the NCHA, addresses longstanding issues hindering cultural relics-related sci-tech innovation, such as imbalanced resource allocation and weak management.

It mapped out plans to optimize cultural relics-related sci-tech innovation. It also proposed measures to forge better platforms, expand the talent pool, and enhance the incentive mechanism in this regard.

The guideline emphasized strengthening basic research in applied sciences and enhancing the research and development of key technologies, equipment and materials concerning cultural heritage.

The document urged efforts to conduct research on major archaeological projects and promote the application of cultural relics-related scientific and technological advances.