This is the first of a few short blogs on issues that should be highlighted-- but which will likely instead be ignored-- in discussions about the proposed renewal of the MOU with China.
Both UNESCO and the CPIA assume that China will take self-help measures to protect its own cultural property, but some 30,000 items on a 1982 list of historic properties have disappeared due to China's aggressive economic development, particularly for the Olympics. The bulldozer has even claimed the home of China's pioneering preservationists.
Even worse, China has demolished large swaths of historic cities built by China's minorities.
Should the MOU with China be renewed given these circumstances?