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Priority given to heritage protection China will continue to give top priority to heritage protection. In a written message to the annual meeting of the World Heritage Committee, President Hu Jintao pledged to strengthen protection efforts.
The committee's 28th session kicked off Monday in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province. Hu said every country has a unique cultural and natural heritage. This heritage is not only a precious legacy but also a treasure for mankind. "It is an imperative task for the international community to strengthen protection of world heritage properties," he said. At the opening ceremony State Councillor Chen Zhili reviewed China's heritage protection efforts. She said the country will continue putting heritage conservation first, while pushing for reasonable use and better management of heritage sites. The country now has 101 famous cultural and historical cities, 1,271 national key cultural relics under protection, 177 State-level scenic spots, 153 State-level nature reserves, 44 national geological parks and 342 national forestry parks. Among them, 29 sites have been included in the World Heritage List. The country has also enacted more than 10 laws and regulations concerning heritage protection. Koichiro Matsuura, director general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), said China has the capacity to protect World Heritage sites. The director general, who has visited at least five sites in China, said it is important to "get co-operation from local authorities and local people... and establish a reliable management plan" in order to better protect the sites. Matsuura said China has been a very important partner of Unesco. China has established broad partnerships with other countries and international organizations and is willing to improve international co-operation and work towards better world heritage protection, said Chen.
Initiated by Unesco and invited by the Cambodian Government, China has taken on the protection and renovation project of Chau Say Thevoda of Angkor Wat, a World Heritage Site. The efforts have been highly praised by the Cambodian Government and experts from international organizations, Chen said. In the coming days, participants will discuss more than 27 items, examine and decide how many of 48 nominees will be included in the World Heritage List this year. The 48 nominees include 33 cultural properties, 8 natural properties and 7 applying for extension to existing sites. Another part of the meeting is an exhibition displaying all the World Heritage Sites which also opened in Suzhou Monday. |
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