Egypt backs China in battle over artifacts

"Nothing makes me more sad than watching auction houses selling antiquities, be they Chinese, Egyptian or from any other ancient civilization, for people to have them in their own palaces, so scholars, historians and tourists cannot see them," he said.

"This is very dangerous, so we will work hand in hand with China and other countries who have great civilizations. We want to defend that heritage and fight the illicit trade. Recently, I was invited by the Chinese authorities for a ministerial-level congress in Beijing later this month to discuss how we can work together to preserve international heritage and fight the illicit traffic in antiquities."

November also marks the first anniversary of the start of a cooperational archaeological dig by Chinese and Egyptian experts in Egypt, at Luxor. World-renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, who has written 16 books about Tutankhamun, echoed the minister's comments about Egypt and China having a shared mission.

"I have a great admiration for the history of China," he told China Daily. "I met the vice-president of China inside Luxor temple and told him. Egypt is like China in that we suffer from a trade in illicit artifacts. I have had big fights with museums and individuals around the world, and have managed to bring back around 6,000 artifacts, but I still believe items like the bust of Queen Nefertiti in Berlin, the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum in London, and carved zodiac at the Louvre in Paris should come home to Egypt."

That is not to say, however, that Egypt is possessive about its artifacts and its heritage. Its ancient past is in fact its greatest modern asset. "Egyptian monuments belong to people all over the world, which is why we send this exhibition to London and around the world — it will bring tourists to Egypt," he said.