Officials should study laws on cultural heritage

Feng Jicai, writer and CPPCC member, is surrounded by reporters as he registers for the annual session on Monday. Jiang Dong /China Daily

Feng Jicai, famed writer, heritage campaigner and CPPCC member, has suggested Chinese leaders and officials study laws on the protection of intangible cultural heritage and cultural relics and better enforce them.

"In my proposal there is a suggestion that our officials must study the laws, because one of the important points of the 'Four Comprehensives' strategy is to run state affairs under the rule of law. On culture, our country has two laws: one is the Cultural Relics Protection Law and the other is the Law for Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection," said Feng, who is known for writing stories of his hometown Tianjin.

The "Four Comprehensives" strategy, outlined by Chinese President Xi Jinping, includes comprehensive efforts to build a moderately prosperous society, deepen reform, advance the rule of law and strictly run the Party.

China passed the Cultural Relics Protection Law in 1982, and the Law for Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection in 2011, but not a single case of enforcement has been reported, said Feng.