United States Returns Two Stolen Relics Worth IDR51 Million to China

VIVA – The United States government has returned two stolen relics with a collective value of over $3,5 million or IDR51,7 billion to China. 

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Beijing on Friday said that the return of ancient relics in the form of carved stones used as tomb plinths was carried out at an event in New York, United States, on Tuesday. 

The ceremony was authorized by the China National Cultural Heritage Agency (NCHA), the Chinese Consulate General in New York, and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. The US handed over the two ancient objects that were illegally carried and later confiscated, back to the Chinese side.

"This is the fifth return of cultural relics to China from US government agencies through cooperation in the field of cultural heritage in recent years," MFA spokesman Wang Wenbin said. 

According to Wenbin, the Chinese government is committed to expanding inter-governmental cooperation in combating and preventing the smuggling of cultural relics. 

"We are ready to cooperate with the United States and other countries in enhancing efforts to preserve the world's cultural heritage," Wenbin said.

The two chiseled stones are part of the stone burial platform that supports the coffin inside the necropolis. Collectively the two stones are valued at nearly US$3,5 million, according to their high historical, scientific, and artistic value, local Chinese media reported.