This return marks another success in cooperation between China and Italy under their bilateral agreement aimed at preventing illegal trade in cultural relics.
In October 2022 and April 2024, the Italian Carabinieri military police informed China of the discovery of 56 suspected Chinese relics. After reviewing the findings, China's National Cultural Heritage Administration provided identification and legal reports to the Italian authorities, formally requesting the return of the items. Italy subsequently agreed to repatriate the relics.
Many of the artifacts are thought to have come from China's Gansu, Qinghai, and Shaanxi provinces. They include painted pottery from the Majiayao culture, dating back over 5,000 years.
Over the last 12 years, China has intensified efforts to recover cultural relics, successfully bringing back more than 2,100 items from around the world.
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