Italy agrees to return nearly 800 Chinese cultural relics in goodwill gesture

South China Morning Post ^ | 03/24/2019 | Sarah Zheng

[SeekAndFind]

Italy has agreed to return nearly 800 cultural relics to China, a goodwill gesture during President Xi Jinping’s high-profile trip to Rome that saw the country become the first Western European nation to join Beijing’s controversial “Belt and Road Initiative”.

The agreement to hand over 796 Chinese relics that had been “illegally exported” to Italy from China – including a Majiayao red clay pot and Song dynasty porcelain – was signed by Italy’s Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities Alberto Bonisoli and his Chinese counterpart Luo Shugang on Friday. Bonisoli and Luo also discussed deepening bilateral cultural cooperation and fighting the illicit relic trade. “We are proud to be able to return these pieces to our friends, as they are representative of the heritage and identity of the Chinese people,” Bonisoli said, according to a statement from the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities.

The return of the relics to China was ordered by the Court of Milan in November after a complex legal case over ownership of the pieces, the ministry said.

Beijing has long sought the repatriation of stolen or smuggled Chinese cultural artefacts held abroad, launching high-profile campaigns in recent years to do so.

The latest move, hailed by Chinese media as the largest return of Chinese relics in two decades, came as the two countries signed 29 agreements during Xi’s state visit, notably including a memorandum of understanding for cooperation on the belt and road plan.

European countries have raised doubts about the infrastructure programme for its potential to create “debt traps” and the role of Chinese investments in the region, prompting the European Union to push for changes to its China policy.

Brussels last week labelled China a “systemic rival”

[SeekAndFind]

But Italy sidestepped the concerns of its neighbours – as well as Washington’s warning that lending legitimacy to the belt and road “infrastructure vanity project” could hurt Rome’s reputation – with its officials focusing on deepening economic and other ties with Beijing.

Along with deals on satellites, e-commerce, agriculture, beef and pork imports, banking, innovation and science, as well as cultural cooperation, the agreement to hand over lost Chinese relics was another sweetener aimed at strengthening Italy-China ties.

[MNDude]

I’m not sure where they are safer. The Chinese destroyed millions of historic relics during the Communist uprising, but with the increase of Muslims in Europe, I don’t think many not Islamic relics will be safe anywhere within a hundred years.

[MichaelCorleone]

They did the right thing by returning them to China.

I had heard Italy was keen to participate in the BRI. Guess it’s official.

[ifinnegan]

So Communists can destroy them as relics of reactionary past.

[Political Junkie Too]

How often do "goodwill gestures" actually result in good will that is reciprocated, as opposed to being seen as supplication?

-PJ

[SpaceBar]

China will destroy them in their next wave of political insanity.

[Political Junkie Too]

the two countries signed 29 agreements during Xi’s state visit, notably including a memorandum of understanding for cooperation on the belt and road plan.

Does this mean that China will now control all of Italy's vast coastline?

Tourism is a big part of Italy's economy. Cruise ships stop all over Italy's coastline.

Did China just effectively conquer the Roman Empire by controlling everything that goes in and out via the sea?

-PJ

[Zhang Fei]

[I had heard Italy was keen to participate in the BRI. Guess it’s official.]

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It’s not a bad deal. The Italians can always repudiate the debt later. It’s not like the Chinese can collect at gunpoint. NATO stands in the way. The Chinese Communist Party is certainly no stranger to debt repudiation.
https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2012/05/chinas_secret_it_owes_american.html

[Bob434]

make some 3-d printed copies and send the copies- noone will be the wiser- noone checks labels these days

[Will88]

I know Italy has been justifiably dissatisfied with many aspects of EU membership, but do they really thing getting involved with China's Belt & Road initiative is a good move? I don't think we in the US should view that positively during the very days we are finally working to rebalance the asinine, one-sided trade relationship we have had with China since the late 1970s.

[moovova]

There goes my summer trip to the Uffizi.

[NativeSon]

Italy should send some muslims to China, as a gift.

[RightGeek]

We could add spice by sending some Mexicans

[NativeSon]

Hey, that's some good thinking!

To China; "no, the MS-13 is for the 13 secret herbs & spices"