Better protection of cultural relics needed when exhibited abroad

Editor's note: On Tuesday, a mistrial was declared in a case in which a US man broke off the thumb of a Terracotta Warrior during an exhibition at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in December 2017. Beijing News comments:

The jury was unable to reach a consensus on the case of the defendant Michael Rohana. After that, the judge dismissed jurors and prosecutors said they would decide whether to retry the case before May 15.

It should be noted that the jury failed to reach a consensus on the charges of theft and concealment of an object of cultural heritage even though Rohana had already admitted having caused the damage. Rohana's lawyers argued he was wrongly charged as it was not a case of art theft.