DUBAI, Dec. 3 -- A senior Chinese official attended the International Conference on the Protection of Endangered Cultural Heritage, which ended on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Chinese Embassy in the UAE said in a statement.

At the two-day conference, Liu Yuzhu, head of China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage, reviewed the efforts made by the Chinese government to combat illegal smuggling of cultural relics.

China actively participates in and supports the international protection of the endangered cultural heritage, Liu said.

He said the Chinese government will encourage national museums and cultural relics protection organizations to actively respond to the construction of international cultural relics shelters.

Representatives from 40 countries, including China, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, and international organizations attended the meeting.