With an eye to national identity, Beijing vows to stem loss of cultural treasures

Beijing has pledged to take greater steps to protect its wealth of cultural artefacts, in part by meting out stricter punishment for the theft or destruction of relics.

The State Administration of Cultural Heritage will also set up two offices to oversee the movement of antiques across borders in the country’s free-trade zones and bonded areas, according to the organisation’s annual working plan released last week.

The leadership has tied the preservation of artefacts to national identity, with President Xi Jinping calling them an important part of the great revival of China. During a trip to Shanxi province in 2015, Xi urged local cultural administrators to “let antiques speak”, to strengthen national pride and a sense of history.

Under the working plan, the administration intends to better protect relics against fire, theft and destruction. It calls for stricter punishment for crimes involving relics although details were not given.

During the first half of the 20th century, the mainland saw a flood of antiques out of the country, some looted by foreign troops. Beijing’s official narrative views the loss as a humiliation by Western powers.