China Demands Return of Cultural Relics from Japan, Mentions 'Balhae Stone Monument'... Northeast Project Controversy Erupts

Chinese State Media Demands Return of Looted Artifacts from Japan
"Chinese Cultural Relics on Display in Japan"
Hongryeojeongbi Mentioned... Example of the Northeast Project

China’s state-run media outlet has sparked controversy by mentioning the Balhae Stone Monument (Seokbi) while criticizing Japan for looting cultural heritage.

Photo to assist understanding of the article, showing the appearance of the Chinese national flag.

According to Yonhap News Agency, on March 19, the Chinese state media Global Times published an editorial titled “It’s Time for Japan to Return Looted Cultural Relics,” referencing Japan’s history of militarist aggression. The editorial asserted that China has the right to demand the return of cultural heritage from Japan, based on international law, public opinion, and moral justice.

Global Times stated, “Our reporters visited Japan and confirmed that looted Chinese cultural artifacts are openly displayed.” The paper further argued, “This is not merely theft, but irrefutable evidence of heinous crimes committed by Japanese militarism.” It went on to claim that “Japan’s looting of cultural relics occurred over a long period, across wide regions, and on a massive scale,” citing scholars’ estimates that approximately 2 million Chinese artifacts are held in about 1,000 large and small museums in Japan, with most of them having been taken during wars of aggression.

The issue arose when the outlet mentioned the Balhae Stone Monument as one of the Chinese cultural relics looted by Japan. This has previously sparked controversy in Korea as part of the so-called Northeast Project—a historical distortion campaign launched by China around 2002 to incorporate the histories of Goguryeo and Balhae, which are significant in Korean ancient history, into Chinese history, on the grounds that these events occurred within what is now Chinese territory.

China's state-run media criticized Japan's cultural heritage plundering and mentioned the "Hongryeojeongbi," a stele from Balhae known as the Balhae Stone Monument. The current appearance of the Hongryeojeongbi located in the Japanese Imperial Palace. Northeast Asian History Foundation

Yonhap News Agency also reported that Global Times referred to the “Hongryeojeongbi,” noting that in the past, civil and academic groups from China and Japan had jointly called for the return of cultural relics from Japan. The outlet further reported that this artifact dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618–907).

China has claimed since 2006 that the Hongryeojeongbi records the name of Balhae as “Malgal,” and asserts that Balhae was merely a local government of the Tang Dynasty. At the time, Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported, “After the Russo-Japanese War, Japan took the Hongryeojeongbi as spoils of war, and China has since called for its public display and return.” The article added, “From China’s perspective, this stele documents the Tang emperor granting the title ‘Prince of Balhae’ to the Balhae king and the establishment of a lord-vassal relationship between the Tang and Balhae.” The Asahi Shimbun also analyzed that “China’s interest in this stele is closely linked to the ongoing historical disputes with Korea over the history of Goguryeo, which existed in the region prior to Balhae.”

Ultimately, while the editorial was intended to criticize Japan’s history of militarism, there are concerns that it could reignite controversy over China’s own historical distortions. The Hongryeojeongbi is known to have been erected in Balhae by Tang envoy Choe Heun in the year 713. However, historical records indicate that the people of Balhae referred to their country as “Jinguk” at the time, so claiming that Balhae was a local government under the Tang Dynasty based solely on this stele constitutes a distortion of history.

Meanwhile, the outlet stated, “Japan’s rightward shift poses a serious threat to peace and stability in the region and the international community,” and added meaningfully, “Demanding the return of looted cultural relics from Japan is a way to confront the ugly attempts by Japan’s right-wing forces to whitewash their history of aggression.” The editorial emphasized, “Japan should respond positively to the demands of China and other Asian countries that suffered losses.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.