China and Italy join forces to strengthen cultural heritage protection

The China-Italy International Roundtable on Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage was held in Beijing on Monday, bringing together cultural heritage conservators from both countries to discuss issues such as new global trends in cultural heritage conservation, innovations in restoration techniques, talent cultivation and the application of scientific achievements.

The event was organized by the Chinese Academy of History and the Key Laboratory of Archaeological Sciences and Cultural Heritage of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Zhu Changrong, director of the Institute of Historical Theories of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says China and Italy are both countries with rich, ancient civilizations and a wealth of history, and share a common responsibility in the field of cultural heritage protection with each having complementary strengths.

"Italy boasts deep expertise in the theories, technical systems, and talent cultivation of cultural relic restoration, while China has abundant archaeological resources and great potential for technological application and institutional innovation. Thus, deepening bilateral cooperation comes at an opportune time and holds broad prospects. Cultural heritage is the common spiritual wealth of humanity, and preserving and passing on these treasures is the shared mission of the cultural and museum communities of both countries," he says.

Cristina Carenza, minister of the Italian embassy in China, says the roundtable serves as an important platform for honoring the commitments made during high-level exchanges between the two countries about deepening practical cooperation. Bringing together leading scholars from China and Italy to share expertise and experience, it highlights the vital role of interdisciplinary collaboration in cultural heritage conservation.

Representatives from China and Italy will now head to Anyang in Henan province for on-site visits to the late Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century-11th century BC) capital Yinxu Ruins and the Yinxu Museum, as well as to the Chinese Archaeological Museum. The visits will be an opportunity for both sides to share best practices in preserving major archaeological sites, restoring unearthed artifacts, and presenting and utilizing them.

The Italian experts will also stop by the Key Laboratory of Archaeological Sciences and Cultural Heritage to see the research facilities and major scientific breakthroughs. From there, the two sides will discuss how to move forward with the laboratory's development and how to collaborate more effectively on targeted scientific research.