The exhibition of the Metropolitan's select collection at the National Museum of China in Beijing from February to May was the American museum's first loan exhibition to China.

"It used to be high risk to lend our collections to Chinese art museums because their hardware, such as humidity and temperature-controlling equipment, was not good enough," Sun says.

"But many newly built or renovated Chinese museums have world-class equipment thanks to the country's rapid economic growth in the past decade. What they lack now is an open mind and curators with in-depth knowledge of Western arts."

He advises Chinese art museums to be all-embracing like their peers in Japan.

The National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo was established specially for introducing Western art to Japanese people. Tokyo National Museum's collection of Chinese relics is even better than those of some Chinese art museums.

"For contemporary art, a global vision and an open mind are especially important," Sun adds.

"Many Chinese contemporary artists I've met in the US don't like being called a Chinese artist. They introduce themselves as a contemporary artist.

"They are not denying their roots in China. In their eyes, contemporary art is beyond national boundaries."

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