Australia has returned to Beijing three historical artefacts that were smuggled out of China.
A dinosaur fossil that is more than 100 million years old and two Tang Dynasty figurines were handed to Chinese officials in Canberra.
Police working at the Australian border had seized the items and referred them to authorities for investigation.
The handover comes shortly before Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to Beijing next month.
“Today we’ve witnessed how two nations can work effectively together to return cultural property to its rightful home,” Minister for the Arts Tony Burke said on Wednesday. “Whether it’s items of cultural significance Australia holds or items overseas that belong to us – they should be returned.”
The items are:
Chinese Tang Gilt Bronze AvalokitesvaraImage source, Australian Government
Image caption,
A gilt bronze figurine depicting the Buddhist deity Avalokitesvara
In response to BBC queries, an Australian government spokesperson said the fossil was imported in 2020, while the Tang Dynasty items were imported the following year.
Source: bbc.com
