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

Xi'an, the provincial capital of Shaanxi in the northwest, is to receive a historic cargo train that departed last week from Baku of Azerbaijan, marking the first rail transport of Azerbaijani goods to China in their trade history.

The inaugural Baku-Xi'an freight train consists of 62 forty-foot containers and will travel through Kazakhstan using a multimodal transport approach to reach the Xi'an International Port Station.

As is planned, some 15,000 tons of goods or 600 containers are expected to be shipped along the designated route from Baku to China by the end of this year.

In April this year, Azerbaijan's largest logistics company, Absheron Logistics Center, opened its first branch at the Chanba International Port in Xi'an, signifying a strong partnership to advance the construction of the cross-Caspian Sea international transport corridor. This collaboration has resulted in the regular daily operation of the Chang'an train of the China-Europe freight service, with the frequency to increase to 50 trains per month in the future.

Xi'an has already emerged as a leading Chinese hub for cross-Caspian freight trains, boasting the highest frequency of service in the nation. This year, Azerbaijan has received 280 container trains from China and plans to receive over 300 by the end of the year. By 2025, the number of direct trains is projected to double to 1,000 trains.

To further enhance logistics capabilities, Xi'an is accelerating the building of a new logistics corridor based on a "hub-to-hub" model for China-Europe freight trains. This initiative includes ongoing cooperation with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijani railway companies, as well as the Baku International Sea Trade Port. A multimodal freight terminal is planned for construction at Alat Port in Baku, with a projected completion timeline of one year. Once operational, it is expected to handle 300,000 to 350,000 containers annually.

First rail shipment from Azerbaijan to China arrives in Xi'an