The Australian government on Monday handed back to China confiscated dinosaur eggs and other fossils believed to be millions of years old.

At a ceremony held in Canberra, Minister for Justice and Customs Christopher Ellison gave a list of 32 fossils seized by Australian Customs for the past year to Chinese Ambassador to Australia Fu Ying. The fossils include 25 dinosaur eggs, three dinosaur egg pieces, three fish slabs and one sinohydrosaur fossil.

Among the fossils displayed at the ceremony included a 130-million-year-old slab of fossil fish, a 130-million-year-old marine reptile and five 65-million-year-old dinosaur eggs.

The fossils, illegally exported from China and imported into Australia, had been seized at the request of China. Some, believed to be from Henan Province, originated in the Cretaceous Period, 100 million years ago.

Ellison told reporters, "The Australian government has great respect for the significance of these items in Chinese history and culture, and we are one of the first countries to take direct action to help China deter the illegal international trade in fossils and artifacts."

He did not give a value of the fossils but estimated a dinosaur egg could be priced at A$15,000 dollars (US$10,500).

He said some of the fossils had been bought over the Internet by Australian residents who were unaware that they were purchasing illegal exports. Others were offered for sale in stores. Ellison advised Australian citizens who have interest in collecting fossils to be aware that such items could be illegal.

The investigation is continuing and no one has been formally charged in connection with the seizures.

Ellison said his government will continue to assist the Chinese government in retrieving and protecting Chinese heritage. The protection of cultural heritage is "a very serious matter which concerns all the countries," he stated.

The 32 fossils handed over Monday seem to be the tip of a very large iceberg. A haul of 20 tons of Chinese fossils was seized in Perth last week.

"Last week's seizure of fossils in western Australia is yet another example of the Australian government working to assist the Chinese government in their endeavors to halt the illegal trade in Chinese fossils," said Ellison.

Hailing the two countries' cooperation in quelling the smuggling of Chinese historical relics, Fu thanked the Australian government for helping to retrieve the fossils. She said cooperation in checking the illegal trade of fossils is an important part of the nations' healthy cultural exchange.

Fu suggested that the two countries should expand their cooperation to identify the smuggling routes and the organized criminal gangs involved.

(Xinhua News Agency June 22, 2004)