China orders nationwide inventory of state-owned museum collections to strengthen cultural relic security

BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- China has launched a year-long nationwide campaign to reinforce security management of cultural relics, requiring all state-owned museums to conduct an item-by-item inventory of their collections.

According to the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA), the campaign aims to verify the accuracy of collection records, establish routine and standardized inventory mechanisms, and concurrently pilot the second national census of movable cultural relics.

Authorities will also conduct comprehensive inspections of security risks in museum collections, strengthen preventive measures, and enhance emergency response capabilities, the administration said.

The initiative follows a series of recent policy measures. In December 2025, a national museum work conference stressed that collection management should remain a top priority for museums, with systematic efforts in collection, preservation, research and interpretation, which will be incorporated into the 15th Five-Year (2026-2030) Plan for cultural heritage.

Subsequently, the NCHA conducted reviews of museum collection management issues linked to public reports, and issued circulars to strengthen museum security and standardize the acceptance and management of donated collections.