On September 16, 2026, the Chinese Embassy in the United States hosted a handover ceremony for the repatriation of Chinese cultural property, at which the Chinese side received 58 pieces of Chinese cultural relics and fossils returned by the Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities Program of Homeland Security Investigations of the United States. Ambassador Xie Feng attended the ceremony and delivered remarks.

Ambassador Xie noted that the repatriation of cultural property serves as a beacon of justice, safeguarding the shared cultural heritage of humanity; it sets up a ladder of progress, bearing witness to the continuation and renewal of the Chinese civilization; it also builds a bridge of cooperation, broadening the path to win-win cooperation. As President Xi Jinping emphasized, “The preservation of cultural relics both benefits people today and leaves a lasting legacy for generations to come.” With the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, more and more displaced Chinese cultural relics are returning home, where they are being better protected, utilized, and given new life.

Ambassador Xie underscored that the handover is a tangible outcome of the two countries’ joint efforts to act on the new vision of building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability as agreed on by the two heads of state during their meeting in Beijing earlier this year. The return of Chinese cultural relics and fossils demonstrates the two countries’ shared responsibility to history, respect for civilization and commitment to justice, setting a shining example for global cooperation in the area. It once again demonstrates that China and the United States are fully capable of accomplishing many great and concrete things when working together, for the good of the two countries and the whole world.

Rao Quan, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism and Administrator of the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China, and Ricardo Mayoral, Assistant Director of Homeland Security Investigations, also delivered remarks and jointly signed the handover certificates. Vice Minister Rao said that the handover marks the latest progress in the two countries’ efforts to act on the consensus reached by the two heads of state during their meeting in Beijing in the field of cultural heritage protection. It is also an important instance of cooperation between the Chinese and American governments under the bilateral MOU on import restriction of Chinese cultural relics. The handover will further promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and the United States, and help foster greater mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.