Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian

China commends France stepping up to its responsibility in returning lost artifacts to their countries of origin, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press conference on Thursday, in response to media inquiries over the pass of cultural property restitution bill in the French National Assembly, adding that China hopes to see the bill's legislative procedures completed at an early date. 

"We look forward to cooperating with France in that area. Our two countries have had successful cooperation on multiple cases involving preventing smuggling of artifacts and facilitating restitution of lost cultural relics," Lin said.

We stand ready to work together with France and other relevant parties to promote conservation and restitution of lost cultural relics through dialogue and cooperation, bring people of different countries closer, and deepen exchange and mutual learning between civilizations, the spokesperson stressed.

With 141 votes in favor and none against, the French National Assembly on Wednesday approved a draft law on the restitution of cultural property acquired through illicit appropriation. The French Senate on Thursday approved the draft law, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The bill seeks to establish a clearer and simpler legal framework for returning cultural assets acquired by France through illicit means. It applies to cultural property acquired between 1815 and 1972, excluding military items and certain archaeological objects.

Under France's principle of the inalienability of public collections, cultural objects could previously be returned to their countries of origin only through specific legislation on a case-by-case basis and in limited numbers.