China has launched a five-day seminar to train its anti-smuggling police officers with knowledge of antiques in a bid to help them be better prepared for the fight against smuggling.
At the seminar, which began Monday in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, officials and experts from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage will give lectures to the officers. Customs officials will also exchange experiences and technical know-how in the fight against smuggling of cultural relics.
In addition, a number of cultural relics will be on display during the seminar.
Officials from the State Administration of Customs, which co-organized the seminar with the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, said such a seminar shows that China has taken a new step forward in carrying out relevant international conventions on cultural heritage.
Over the past three years since the anti-smuggling police forces were set up, the anti-smuggling police forces have uncovered a total of 28 antique smuggling cases and seized 28 suspects. They have also seized a total of 2,281 cultural relics.
(Xinhua News Agency 07/03/2001)
