Australia says China military buildup creating ‘pressure’ in Southeast Asia

After more than three decades abroad, Australia has returned two ancient stone heads to China, marking a significant step in cultural diplomacy between the two nations. The statues, representing the heads of a military official and civil servant, were gifted to the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra by a private collector and are believed to have originated from the Northern Song dynasty, which ruled China from 960 to 1127.

According to the Australian gallery, the heads were reportedly taken from two imperial mausoleums in Henan province during the 1990s, a period when illegal trafficking of ancient artifacts was a rampant issue in China. A 1999 paper by Bruce Doar, published in the Archaeology magazine, documented the theft of nine stone statue heads from the Northern Song mausoleums during the mid to late Nineties.

The two sculptures were not seen since 1995 when a private collector donated them to the National Gallery of Australia, where their "location, ownership, and method of transfer" were unknown for several years. The return of these artifacts was facilitated by the recent agreement between the two countries to enhance cultural exchanges, following Chinese Premier Li Qiang's visit to Australia in 2024.

As part of this cooperation, an exhibition featuring indigenous Australian artworks will be displayed at the National Museum of China next month, while China's famed terracotta warriors will be showcased at the National Gallery of Australia in December. The diplomatic exchange was further strengthened when Chinese Ambassador Liu Jinsong visited the National Museum of Australia in September, demonstrating his strong commitment to fostering cultural ties between the two nations.