The United Kingdom has returned 12 cultural relics and artworks that left China. According to Huanqiu and Xinhua, the handover ceremony took place on Sept. 23 at the Chinese Embassy in London.

The 12 items were seized by the Metropolitan Police in the course of an investigation. Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zeguang attended along with representatives of the Metropolitan Police, the Foreign Office, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the OSCE, while Rao Quan, vice minister of culture and tourism and head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, addressed the event by video.

A return enabled by the UNESCO convention

Both China and Britain are parties to UNESCO's 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. Working within that framework, China's heritage administration coordinated with the British side through the embassy to secure the return.

China said pursuing the return of lost relics is 'a just cause' that protects the safety of cultural heritage, respects peoples' cultural rights and national sentiment, and safeguards the achievements of human civilization. The British side said the return was a positive result of practical cooperation and reflected a shared determination to combat illicit trafficking in cultural goods.

A steady stream of returns

China has steadily expanded cooperation on relic repatriation with the United States, Europe and others in recent years. Recovering illicitly traded items seized by law enforcement through diplomatic channels has become an established route.

Taiwan's Central News Agency also reported the handover, noting China's hope that it will promote cultural exchanges between the two countries. A detailed list of the items and their periods is expected to be released later.