Chinese President Xi Jinping and Italian President Sergio Mattarella paid a visit together in Beijing on Friday to see a batch of cultural relics returned by Italy.
Mattarella introduced to Xi some returned potteries of China's Majiayao culture. Italy's government confiscated the Chinese relics which were illicitly traded in the country.
Xi told Mattarella that when he was in Italy for a state visit in 2019, he witnessed the signing between the two countries of an agreement to return 796 illicitly traded Chinese artifacts to their home, which marked a milestone in the cooperation between the two sides on cultural heritages and set a fine example for international cooperation in repatriation of cultural relics.
Xi said Italy's latest return of 56 Chinese cultural relics showed its respect to Chinese cultural heritages and proved bilateral friendship.
The Majiayao culture is in the upper reaches of the Yellow River and its tributaries. With more than 5,000 years of history, it forms a significant part of the origin of the Chinese civilization.
Xi, Mattarella view cultural relics returned to China
Italian President Sergio Mattarella expressed his pleasure with the growing collaboration between China and Italy he has witnessed during his stay Beijing, including partnerships in space exploration and cultural heritage preservation.
Mattarella is in China for a state visit from November 7 to 12, at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Reflecting on his previous visits, Mattarella praised the significant changes he has witnessed in China during an elusive interview with China Central Television (CCTV) on Sunday.
Mattarella expressed his admiration for the gift he received from Xi, which included a moon-shaped ornament featuring lunar soil from the Chang'e-5 mission and a research sample scooped from the Moon. For the Italian president, the gift represents the importance of advancing space cooperation between the two countries.
"The gift that President Xi Jinping presented to me was the lunar soil sample, which is truly a novelty. It symbolizes China's remarkable technological progress and indicates vast prospects for development beyond Earth, which we should explore together. We should work hand in hand to develop and utilize these opportunities, rather than pursuing the opposite path. This precious sample left a deep impression on me. We must jointly strengthen our cooperation in space exploration in the vast universe," he said.
During the visit, Xi and Mattarella viewed some of the 56 Chinese cultural relics that Italy had recently returned, including pottery ware made 4,800 years ago. Of the relics, 53 pieces belong to China's Majiayao culture, a Neolithic archaeological culture from the upper reaches of the Yellow River, dating back 4,000 to 5,000 years.
The return process was overseen by Italy's Carabinieri Art Squad, which is primarily responsible for combating art and antiquity-related crimes and generally protecting cultural property.
"We are very proud of the Caribinieri's efforts in seizing cultural artifacts from around the world and returning them to their countries of origin. These relics showcase the fascinating and rich art of ancient China, which is an important heritage. I am very pleased to see the cooperation between Italy and China in this field," said Mattarella.
Asked about his reference to a poem by Su Shi, a renowned Chinese poet of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), in his speech at Peking University on Saturday, Mattarella emphasized the shared rich cultural heritage between Italy and China.
"Both Italy and China boast rich cultural legacies, and we are poised to embrace a better future ahead. For me, this was an important and delightful experience. Seeing the students' focus and enthusiasm, what I said was not as important as the insights they gained," he said.
Italian president delighted in space, cultural cooperation with China
