Rules ensure legality of artifact trades
China DailySHI YU/CHINA DAILY For a nation as rich in cultural artifacts as China, ensuring that the trade of such items is safe, legal and fair for both buyers and sellers has been a key endeavor for many years. In May of the same year, the Shanghai Cultural Relics Circulation Association, China's first regional association for cultural artifacts businesses, was established to supervise and promote the industry's development. Last year, Shanghai held 863 auctions of cultural artifacts, with 157,029 pieces on auction and a total turnover exceeding 5 billion yuan, according to data from the Shanghai Administration of Cultural Heritage. Over the past three editions of the expo, a total of 35 exhibitors have brought 320 cultural artifacts and artworks, with a total duty-free entry sales of 1.8 billion yuan, according to Shanghai FTZART Co. From 2013 to last year, the cumulative value of cultural artifacts and artworks entering and leaving China via Shanghai exceeded 100 billion yuan in value, according to the China Pilot Free Trade Zone.