United States Repatriates 58 Cultural Artifacts to China
The United States has repatriated 58 cultural relics, artworks, and fossils to China, with a handover ceremony held at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, according to the embassy’s WeChat account as reported by the Global Times. US Homeland Security Investigations’ Cultural Property, Art, and Antiquities Program returned items including a Bodhisattva statue from the Tianlongshan Grottoes in Shanxi Province that was looted more than a century ago, along with terracotta figures, stone statues, and fossils, according to China News. Chinese commentary cited by the Global Times framed the return as a significant cultural exchange within the broader China–US relationship, quoting Peking University professor Zhang Yiwu. The article also states the repatriation followed a recent meeting between the US and Chinese heads of state in Beijing.
From This Briefing
This story was covered in Museum Expansions, AI Book Carnage, and Power Plays