China says auction of looted sculptures will seriously hurt national sentiment

China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) has voiced strong opposition with Christie's and demanded that the auction be stopped.

The Administration would not buy the sculptures, because buying them means China acknowledges they were taken legally.

As for the report that the current owner of the bronzes Pierre Berge said he would return the two heads of the sculpture so long as China gives liberty to the Tibet people and welcomes the Dalai Lama, the spokesman said it is absurd to infringe on the Chinese people's fundamental cultural rights under the banner of human rights.

He urged those involved to understand and respect the just demands of the Chinese people and help return Chinese cultural properties back to China.

The auction house is to stage the auction in Paris at 7 a.m. on Feb. 25 (local time). The two items are expected to fetch between 16 million and 20 million euros (20.8 million to 26 million U.S. dollars).

Editor:Liu Anqi