Requesting for repatriation of looted artifacts from western museums has become a top priority for many countries in the postcolonial context, whilst only a small portion of the plundered volume has been lawfully reinstituted to China. More recently, serial art crimes targeted at Chinese artifacts have been committed in museums across Europe. Drawing on this, the study delves into the illegitimacy of art thefts, the catastrophic effects of trafficking of historic antiquities, as well as related international and domestic regulations, to unpack the ethical issues surrounding reclaiming of Chinese cultural objects. Importantly, in this discussion, initiative return is put forward as the proximal and sustainable resort to address reinstitution dilemmas and relevant ethical issues. In this way, collaborative participation within the network of museum communities is necessitated, which includes improvements of legal formulation and enactment on domestic and international bases, introduction of an official worldwide registry of artifacts, enhancement in museum management regarding security and accessioning, as well as negotiations between museums.

Qiaoyun Hu. Reclaiming and Repatriation: Brief Discussion on Ethical Issues Surrounding Reclaiming of Chinese Cultural Objects. Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (2022) Vol. 5, Issue 19: 106-110. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJHSS.2022.051919.

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