Foreign media: France's National Assembly has recently passed a bill simplifying the procedure for returning artifacts looted during the colonial era to their countries of origin. The law applies to items acquired between 1815 and 1972.
In a speech, lawmaker Jérémie Patri-Létiu cited a letter written in 1861 by French writer Victor Hugo to Captain Butler, in which Hugo prophesied that "France will one day return the stolen treasures to China." Netizens commented that Hugo’s prophecy has now come true.
The bill also requires the government to publish annually a list of cultural objects that may have been illegally obtained, enabling relevant countries to submit claims for restitution.
France currently holds tens of thousands of artifacts looted during the colonial period and has received requests for return from countries including Mali, Algeria, and Benin. In 2025, France returned to Côte d'Ivoire a "talking drum" seized in 1916.
Left-wing parties advocate expanding the scope of the bill, while far-right factions demand that only countries with "friendly relations" with France be eligible. Macron had pledged in 2017 to return African cultural heritage within five years.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862620176840708/
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