Shou Xiaoli:

One last question, please.

Cover News:

In recent years, a number of cultural relics lost overseas have been returned, which has attracted widespread attention. What has the NCHA done in terms of the retrieval and repatriation of cultural relics? What are the follow-up plans? And what will be done to promote the return of more national treasures? Thank you.

Guan Qiang:

Thank you for your questions. In recent years, the NCHA has taken the retrieval and repatriation of cultural relics as an important task. We have established specific institutions to advance this work. So far, China has established inter-governmental cooperation architecture that prevents the theft, clandestine evacuation, and illicit export of cultural relics with 27 countries, including Peru, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the U.S. and Australia, and has successfully facilitated the return of more than 1,900 pieces or sets of lost cultural relics to China in 43 batches. The governments of China and the U.S. have extended the validity period for the governmental memorandum of understanding aimed at preventing the illegal entry of Chinese cultural relics into the U.S. for another five years, which had been renewed twice before.

This year, we successfully retrieved the stolen Western Zhou bronze vessel known as Feng Xingshu Gui, and received from the U.S. two important Chinese stone carvings and 38 cultural relics and artworks that were illegally exported, and 14 cultural relics and artworks from Argentina. We held the International Conference on the Protection and Return of Cultural Objects, put forward China's proposal to facilitate the return of cultural relics to their countries of origin beyond the scope of existing international conventions, and launched the Qingdao Recommendations, gathering strength for advancing the resolution of important and difficult issues encountered by Chinese cultural relics lost overseas throughout history.

At the same time, in terms of the tax exemption policies for promoting the return of overseas cultural relics, in April this year, the NCHA, along with five other departments, revised and released the Regulations on Tax Exemption for State-owned Public Welfare Collection Units to Import Collections, and optimized and adjusted the tax exemption policies for imported collections. We have added the NCHA to the scope of tax exemption entities, aiming to ensure the convenience for the direct return of cultural relics in the cultural relic retrieval work, and the acceptance of overseas returns and donations. Originally, the tax exemption entity had to be a specific unit. However, the NCHA, as an organ, does this work on behalf of China and the Chinese government, so we have now included the NCHA in the scope of tax exemption entities. At the same time, it has been clarified that imported collections can be allocated to and exchanged between state-owned public welfare museums in accordance with the law, and there is no need to pay additional taxes. This is conducive to the rational allocation of collection resources and giving greater play to the value of duty-free imported collections in terms of scientific research, display and utilization.

Next, the NCHA will continue to work on the retrieval and repatriation of cultural relics lost overseas and strive to bring more cultural relics back to China as soon as possible.

We will continue to strengthen the foundational work and carry out research into the origins of Chinese cultural relics lost overseas. There are many cultural relics lost overseas, and we have conducted research on some basic materials. We will continue to deepen and flexibly carry out different forms of international cooperation, make good use of various platforms and mechanisms, continue to strengthen investigation and research, and make greater efforts to retrieve Chinese cultural relics lost overseas. As retrieval requires evidence, we have to conduct very detailed investigations on many cultural relics. Many units are now also doing research on various situations.

In addition, we will continue to fulfill our international obligations and cooperate on cultural relic repatriation with relevant countries. We will consolidate the outcomes of the Council Meeting of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia, promote China's proposal — the Qingdao Recommendations — to the international community, encourage countries of origin and countries holding cultural relics to strengthen dialogue, and continue to hold the annual "International Day against Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property" China Thematic Forum. At the same time, we will also do a good job in the research, protection, publication, publicity and display of returned cultural relics, and enable the retrieval and repatriation of lost cultural relics to play a more important role in safeguarding the country's cultural sovereignty, strengthening national bonds, bolstering confidence in our own culture, and arousing the cultural creativity of the entire nation.

Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Guan. Thank you to all the speakers and journalists. That is all for today's briefing. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Xu Kailin, Fan Junmei, Li Xiao, Zhang Junmian, Wang Qian, Ma Yujia, Li Huiru, David Ball, Rochelle Beiersdorfer, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.