China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) held a press conference on Tuesday in Beijing to provide further information on the new cultural heritage guidelines released on Monday by the general offices of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council.
"This is the first ever central government policy paper concerning cultural heritage protection and utilization reforms issued since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949," said SACH Director Liu Yuzhu at the press conference.
The guidelines include aims and measures to enhance China's cultural heritage protection and utilization by 2025.
An increased number of Belt and Road cultural heritage exchange projects, joint archaeological cooperation with overseas countries and regions as well as measures to help bring more civic strength into cultural heritage protection are among the highlights of the guidelines, Liu concluded.
The guidelines also push for the establishment of standardized security measures to protect relics on display.
Aside from measures focusing on heritage protection, how to make better use of ancient relics to benefit society is also another focus of the government guidelines.
According to SACH Deputy Director Gu Yucai, the administration is planning to focus on four key aspects, which include the development of a multi-media press plan to help showcase the country's cultural heritage and their stories, protection and development of revolutionary historical sites and an increase in the number of overseas exhibitions of selected cultural relics.
