China welcomes South Korea's return of Qing Dynasty stone lions

China welcomed on Friday South Korea's return of a pair of Qing Dynasty stone lion sculptures that were taken to Japan in the last century, describing the move as a meaningful example of the two countries remembering history and working together.

"Both China and South Korea suffered aggression by Japanese militarism and experienced the pain of losing cultural relics," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a regular news briefing in Beijing.

He said the return was a concrete step to implement an important consensus reached by the two countries' heads of state during their meeting in January.

"It demonstrates the positive significance of China and South Korea remembering history and working together," Lin said.

A handover ceremony was held on Thursday at the Kansong Art Museum in Seoul, where China's National Cultural Heritage Administration formally received the sculptures from the National Museum of Korea, according to media reports.