With 29 sites listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)as World Heritages, China ranks the third globally after Italy and Spain in world heritage possession.

Zhang Xinsheng, chairman of the 28th Session of the World Heritage Committee and Chinese vice minister of education, made the remark here Tuesday at a press conference held by the committee.

Owning extremely rich heritage resources, China still has more than 100 unique sites as candidates for World Heritage, which tops the world, Zhang acknowledged.

The 28th Session of the World Heritage Committee is due to be held from June 28 to July 7 in Suzhou, a world-renowned scenic city in eastern China's Jiangsu province.
 
(Xinhua News Agency June 23, 2004)