On September 16, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng said in his remarks at the handover ceremony for the repatriation of Chinese cultural property that the repatriation builds a bridge of cooperation, broadening the path to win-win cooperation.

Ambassador Xie noted that law enforcement cooperation in protecting cultural property has become a highlight of China-U.S. cooperation, yielding fruitful outcomes. Since the signing of an MOU for cooperation in 2009, the two sides have engaged in practical cooperation to prevent the illicit trafficking of and combat cross-border crimes involving cultural relics, and facilitate their repatriation, bringing multiple batches of Chinese cultural property in the U.S. back home. Cultural institutions and museums in both countries have also been working more closely together, carrying out inter-museum loan programs, dialogue, digital revitalization, and academic exchanges. The latest exhibition “Selections from Three Millennia of Chinese Art” presented by China Institute Gallery has been a big hit. The University of Chicago virtually reconstructed the Tianlongshan Grottoes, imbuing ancient Chinese art treasures with new vitality. People have also pitched in, and the Chinese Embassy and Consulates-General in the U.S. have been receiving cultural relics returned by friends from various sectors. When Ms. Suzanne Fratus from California returned two pottery figurines to China, she said, “It is not through money or politics that these figurines have come home to you. They were returned through the power of love and respect for you, the Chinese people.” This speaks volumes about the affinity and goodwill between the two peoples.