Could a new French bill help return Chinese artifacts?

这部新的法国法案能否有助于返还中国文物?

The Point with Liu Xin

2026-05-08

26 分钟
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France has passed a landmark bill to facilitate the return of artifacts looted during the colonial era. Could this reshape the global debate on cultural restitution and open the door for Chinese treasures taken during the Opium Wars to finally return home?
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  • through an overload of information to get to the heart of the story.

  • This is The Point.

  • In April, lawmakers in the French National Assembly unanimously voted in favor of the bill that facilitates the return

  • of artworks and artifacts looted from former French colonies between 1815 to 1972.

  • Now, this comes as other European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands and Italy,

  • have taken similar measures to rebuild trust and achieve reconciliation with countries they once occupied.

  • What this bill is all about how is this going to expedite the restitution of those looted artifacts

  • and what about cultural properties that have been looted from other countries such as China during that period of time.

  • Welcome to this special edition of The Point with me, Li Xin, an opinion show coming to you from Beijing.

  • Joining me today, I'm pleased to welcome from Paris,

  • Mathieu Quiniu, co-director of the UNESCO Chair of Digital Innovation in Transmission and Publishing,

  • also a lawyer at the Paris Bar.

  • From New York, Leila Aminedole, Chair of the Art Law Group at Tata Krinsky and Drogin Law Firm.

  • From Singapore, Tim Winter, Changjiang Professor and Research Leader at the Asia Research Institute

  • of the National University of Singapore.

  • And from Beijing, Huo Zhenxing, Professor of Law at the China University of Political Science and Law.

  • The warmest welcome to all of you.

  • So first of all, exactly what this bill is all about.

  • And Mateo, let me go to you.

  • As a UNESCO expert, help us understand.