China's governmental system for cultural policy is divided into two large departments, the Ministry of Culture (Wenhua Bu) and the State Bureau of Cultural Relics (Guojia Wenwu Ju). The Ministry of Culture, in accordance with the policies for art and culture as set forth by the Central Committeee of the Communist Party and the State Council (Guowuyuan), is in charge of promoting policies for art and culture, as well as enacting, maintaining and enforcing related laws and regulations. The State Bureau of Cultural Relics, as the top governmental agency for the protection of cultural properties, Is responsible for conserving cultural properties, and for the maintenance and operation of museums throughout the country.
In recent years, the State Bureau of Cultural Relics has enacted new laws and regulations for the further improvement of policies for the protection of cultural properties. For example, the "Code for Archaeological Liaison Management of the People's Republic of China", was enacted in 1991to promote scientific exchange with other countries in the area of archaeology. "Rules about Chinese Cultural Property Protection Funds" promotes international cooperation for the protection of cultural properties. These being the present circumstances, cultural exchange between Japan and China is being deepened through the protection of cultural properties.
