Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, April 26 (Reporter Liu Hua) - On the 26th in Beijing, the French Pinault family announced that they would donate the bronze rat and rabbit heads from the Old Summer Palace that had been lost overseas to China free of charge.
The rat and rabbit heads being donated this time are two of the twelve zodiac bronze heads that were lost from Beijing's Old Summer Palace. In 2009, these two animal heads were auctioned in Paris, France, attracting international attention and condemnation, and China also explicitly expressed its opposition.
The Pinault family purchased these two animal heads from the original holders of the cultural relics and expressed their willingness to donate them to China without compensation. China positively evaluated this action, considering this intention to be in line with the principles of relevant international conventions on cultural heritage protection, a friendly gesture toward the Chinese people, and conducive to the return of more Chinese cultural relics lost abroad.
Over the years, China, together with other countries whose cultural relics have been lost, has long been committed to promoting the return of cultural relics lost overseas to their countries of origin and has received active response and support from the international community. This donation intention reflects the Pinault family's support for the protection of Chinese cultural heritage and also demonstrates the international community's recognition of the value concept of returning cultural relics to their countries of origin.