Returned cultural relics embody China-Italy cooperation in cultural heritage: official

The returned cultural relics from Italy to China have embodied the fruitful cooperation in cultural heritage between the two countries, said an official from China's National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA).

Chinese President Xi Jinping and visiting Italian President Sergio Mattarella appreciated some of the 56 Chinese cultural relics recently returned by Italy at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday.

The cultural relics displayed to the two heads of state were painted potteries of the Majiayao culture which originated in the upper reaches of the Yellow River and its tributaries. With around 5,000 years of history, the culture forms a significant part of the origin of the Chinese civilization.

Wen Dayan, director general of NCHA's international cooperation department, said that the returned cultural relics epitomize mutual exchanges and learning between the two ancient civilizations.

"This time, the Italian government returned 56 cultural relics to China, and today we showed the eight most representative pieces, which basically cover the main archaeological types of the Majiayao culture of the Neolithic Age in China. Both China and Italy are influential ancient civilizations. Actually, in 2006, the two countries signed a bilateral agreement to prevent the smuggling of cultural relics. In March 2019, the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the cultural heritage authorities of Italy renewed an inter-governmental memorandum of understanding on preventing the illegal entry and exit of cultural relics and promoting their return. It is under such a legal and diplomatic framework that we can witness the return of 56 lost Chinese cultural artifacts to their motherland today," said Wen.

"What the two heads of state appreciated are not only these Chinese cultural relics, but also the long-standing Chinese civilization, as well as the fruits in cultural heritage cooperation and cultural exchange and mutual learning between two ancient civilizations in this era. The work on returning lost Chinese cultural relics has endowed us with high contemporary value and lasting historical value," he said.

Mattarella is on a state visit to China scheduled for Nov 7 to 12, at the invitation of Xi.

Italy's latest return of Chinese cultural relics is vivid example of China-Italy friendship: Chinese official

Russia reported on Sunday that its forces had struck Ukrainian energy infrastructure facilities, while the Ukrainian forces on the same day claimed that they had launched attacks on a Russian defense industry enterprise over the past 24 hours.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in its daily report that over the past day, its troops had struck energy infrastructure facilities supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces, workshops producing long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, launch preparation sites, and temporary deployment points for Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries.

The ministry also said that Russia's air defense systems shot down 274 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.

On the same day, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said they struck a defense industry enterprise in the city of Taganrog in Russia's Rostov region early in the morning, triggering a massive fire at the facility.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces also claimed that the strike would undermine Russia’s drone production capabilities.

Russia reports strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities, Ukraine claims hitting Russian military-industrial enterprise