China to shoulder more responsibility for heritage protection, says official

Gulangyu, an island off the coast of Xiamen, Fujian province. [Photo/VCG]

As one of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, China has pledged to preserve its natural and cultural heritage.

"More inclusions on the World Heritage List come with greater responsibility and more duties," said Liu Yuzhu, head of China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

Liu made the comment after the 41st session of the World Heritage Committee on Saturday, which included China's Gulangyu historic international settlement on the prestigious World Heritage List. So far, China has 52 sites inscribed on the List.

One day earlier, Qinghai Hoh Xil, the most important summer habitat and breeding ground for Tibetan antelopes in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, was also put on the List as a natural site, becoming the 51st Chinese site inscribed on the List.