United States agrees to ban imports of Chinese antiquities.

AuthorCrook, John R.

In January 2009, in the final days of the Bush administration, the United States and China concluded an agreement requiring the United States to ban imports of a variety of Chinese antiquities. Many archeologists and scholars concerned with illicit trade in cultural property praised the agreement, which covers a more limited range of objects than China initially sought. However, some oriental art and antiquities dealers and museum professionals viewed it as overbroad and unlikely to be effective. (9) Excerpts from a Department of State media note on the agreement follow.

On January 14, the United States and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding ... Concerning The Imposition of Import Restrictions on Categories of Archaeological Material from The Paleolithic Period Through The Tang Dynasty and Monumental Sculpture and Wall Art at Least 250 Years Old... Signed on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and China, the agreement establishes a means of cooperation to reduce the incentive for archaeological pillage and illicit trafficking in cultural objects that threaten China's ancient heritage. The agreement also aims to further the international interchange of such materials for cultural, educational, and scientific purposes. To that end, China has agreed to promote long-term loans of archaeological objects to American museums. The two countries, both already signatories to the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, entered into the agreement...

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