US Returns 64 Smuggled Artifacts to China Ahead of Leaders’ Meeting
The United States returned 64 artifacts smuggled out of China as part of diplomatic efforts ahead of an upcoming meeting between the leaders of the two countries.
Abdulrahman Sadikhli1 min read
The United States returned 64 cultural artifacts and paleontological specimens smuggled out of China ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to Washington. The transfer was part of diplomatic efforts ahead of a meeting between the leaders of the two countries.
A ceremony for the transfer of 58 items was held on Wednesday at the Chinese Embassy in Washington. The artifacts and specimens were returned under the US National Security Investigations Service’s program for cultural property, works of art and antiquities.
Another six items were returned the following day by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in New York. This brought the total number of items returned to China to 64.
Chinese Foreign Ministry representative Guo Jiakun said at a Friday briefing that the repatriation was another step toward implementing agreements reached by the two presidents during their meetings in Beijing.
The repatriation represents another step toward implementing the common understandings reached by the two presidents during their meetings in Beijing, and also demonstrates broad prospects for building constructive China-US relations of strategic stability.
Guo Jiakun also said that China and the United States should move in the same direction in a spirit of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit in order to achieve more concrete results in the interests of the two countries and their peoples.
Source: scmp.com
