Compensation planned for return of relics

In a bid to encourage overseas collectors to return to China its ancient relics, the country plans to offer "reasonable compensation" in exchange for the antiques, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) has said.

Shan Jixiang, director of SACH, the country's leading authority on cultural relics preservation, made the announcement on Monday minutes after Chinese-American collector George Fan and his wife Katherine Hu donated nine bronze relics, dating back more than 2,500 years, to a Chinese museum.

Fan was also awarded the first prize for international cultural exchange, initiated by the Ministry of Culture in 1996, for his "generous donations to Chinese museums over the years".