Chinese Cultural Minister Sun Jiazheng said in Suzhou Thursday that the inscription of the Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom into the World Heritage List is a precious gift from the World Heritage Committee to the Chinese people and China will cherish it forever.

"We regard the inscription as an honorable responsibility, obligation and historical mission," Sun, head of the Chinese delegation to the ongoing 28th session of the World Heritage Committee, said after the committee approved the nomination in a closed-door meeting Thursday, according to a transcript obtained by Xinhua from the Chinese delegation.

Official sources from the Chinese delegation and the World Heritage Center have confirmed that the new heritage properties scatter in Jilin and Liaoning provinces in northeast China, consisting of Guonei City, Wandu Mountain City, Haotaiwang Stele and 38 tombs for either Koguryo kings or noble people.

Sun said China also regards the inscription as trust, expectation and encouragement from the international community.

"While peace, friendship, communication, cooperation and development are the major themes of the world and cultural diversity is being respected by more and more countries and nations, China regards protection of world heritage as an irreplaceable part of the sustainable development strategy of the human society and will continue its efforts in this regard," Sun said. "We will try our utmost efforts so as to have no regrets now and leave no regrets to our descendants or to the future," Sun said.

Meanwhile, the minister said China expects the Complex of Koguryo Tombs, a separate nomination of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) at this session, will also be successfully inscribed into the World Heritage List.

"The Chinese government supports Chinese intellectuals and experts in cultural relics to have active consultation with the DPRK experts and carry out conducive technical cooperation in all possible ways," he said.

So far, China has 30 heritage sites, with natural, cultural and mixed properties included, written into the World Heritage List.
 
(Xinhua News Agency July 2, 2004)