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In an interview published on Monday in the influential
Communist Party newspaper the Study Times, Director of the State
Administration of Cultural Heritage Li Xiaoji said the situation
he faced in trying to protect the country's culture was
"severe".
From 2009 to 2014 police uncovered more than 7,000 cases of
cultural artefacts being stolen, smuggled out of the country or
otherwise plundered, especially tombs, Li told the newspaper,
published by the Central Party School which trains rising
officials.
"These criminal activities are organized, use high technology
and violence, and steal to order," Li said, adding that efforts
to crack down had achieved some results but the road ahead would
hard and difficult.
Another problem was that some local governments seemed not to
care about the treasures in their jurisdiction, or simply lacked
the ability to look after them.
"In some culturally protected areas or where there are
construction controls there is illegal construction, damaging
the historical features, including the treasures themselves.
Some precious ancient sites and buildings have vanished beneath
bulldozers," Li said.
In many cases the damage was actually caused by local
governments and officials, he said.
But this was hardly surprising as his administration lacked
people and money to protect cultural artefacts, and in four
provinces there are fewer than 10 people in the job, Li said.
Some parts of China particularly rich in cultural heritage had
no dedicated officials working to protect the treasures, he
added.
There was also a huge funding gap, especially in poorer central
and western regions, Li said.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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