 Former FM denounces relics' auction
By Zhang Lei (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-03-05 07:47
Former foreign minister Li Zhaoxing yesterday denounced Christie's auction of two bronzes stolen from China's Old Summer Palace, saying the sale "will not bring glory to the homeland of the auctioneers." "It doesn't matter which country you are from or what you do. You still don't want to hurt your country's reputation," Li, spokesman for this year's session of the NPC, said alluding to Paris' Christie's and Pierre Berge's insistence on the sale, despite objections from China. Li cited an old Chinese saying - "nothing will block the route of justice" - and added: "China cherishes its friendly relations with France and the bilateral ties will follow the route of justice." Li referred to another ancient Chinese saying - "a gentleman should seek fortune in a decent way" - while calling the auction of the cultural relics "indecent and offensive". "The auction has hurt the feelings of the Chinese people, who have never been unfair to France. "Even if you might make a fortune from the auction, can you feel at ease and enjoy it? Won't your conscience prick you?" Li asked, addressing Christie's and those involved in the sale. Beijing had repeatedly demanded that Christie's halts the auction of the rabbit and rat heads, and return them to China, their rightful owner, even after a French court ruled that the auction could proceed. The heads were once part of a fountain featuring the Chinese zodiac's 12 animals at the Old Summer Palace. They were looted by invading Anglo-French troops during the Second Opium War in 1860. Chinese lawyers around the world have formed an alliance to continue their efforts to find the country's lost cultural relics. Liu Yang, one of the founders of the alliance, told Xinhua yesterday that 10 lawyers, who are working in five different countries, have joined the group.
(China Daily 03/05/2009 page5) |
