China starts campaign to strengthen protection for cultural relics

Officials will now be judged on how they help protect the country’s heritage and local authorities are being urged to promote cultural tourism

President Xi Jinping has been keen to promote confidence in Chinese culture and history

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President Xi Jinping pictured in the historic town of Pingyao last month. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 9:00am, 22 Feb 2022

China will launch a new campaign to improve protection of cultural relics as part of its efforts to boost domestic confidence in the country’s culture and increase its international allure.

The Communist Party’s publicity department recently issued a notice asking officials and cadres at all levels to “comprehensively enhance” protection of historic cultural relics, after President Xi Jinping highlighted the issue during a visit to Pingyao, a historic town in Shanxi and Unesco World Heritage Site.

Xi has pushed cultural confidence as a signature policy since he took helm a decade ago.

Last year the State Council, China’s cabinet, published a cultural protection blueprint that said: “The international environment is becoming more and more complex.

“Uncertainties are increasing notably. We should use cultural relics well to show the real China and expand the influence of Chinese culture.”

According to the new notice, government officials will see the protection of cultural relics added to their appraisals.

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