The unilateral emphasis on economic development and insufficient protection of China's heritage have damaged some historical relics in certain areas.

The new regulations will protect China's cultural relics from the excesses of tourism and rapid infrastructure construction.

For instance, severe penalties will apply if building works within a cultural relics protection zone pollute the site.

The previous law offered no such protection. It was adopted nearly 20 years ago when environmental pollution was a relatively minor problem.

Cities and towns have traditionally given the conservation of historical relics low priority during their development.

The new regulations attempt to make amends for past deficiencies. They allow any town or village of a specific size with abundant historical buildings and examples of cultural heritage that illustrate certain periods of history to apply for the title of Chinese historical and cultural town or village.

Loopholes in the management of museums and private collections have led to the loss of museum relics as well as rampant excavation and smuggling of relics.

According to the new regulations, museums and cultural relics departments should set up archives for relics in their care and report on their collections to higher administrations.

The measure will fix loopholes in museums' management systems and ensure the security of cultural relics.

The changes not only enlarge the sphere of cultural relics protection, but also outline specific fines and administrative punishments for those who destroy, hide or smuggle cultural relics.

More detailed clauses have also been added to regulate auctions of cultural relics.

A new license system has been introduced to weed out unqualified auction houses.

Public auctions of cultural relics will also undergo stricter reviews by cultural relics administrations.

(China Daily July 9, 2003)