It is against the law to take the works of 41 acclaimed but now-dead artists and representative works of 158 other such artists overseas. The rule also applies to creations by 25 dead porcelain artists, 15 dead sculptors, 14 dead fan makers, 18 dead embroiders, 27 dead stamp makers, eight dead snuff box makers and 15 dead masters in lacquer work.

That's the latest step, taken by the National Cultural Heritage Administration on Friday, to stop the smuggling of antiques from the country. At least 17 million antique pieces from China are scattered overseas and those might never be returned to China.

Most of these antiques were smuggled out of China when it was not a strong nation. Toward its end, the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was so weak that Western imperialists, such as the Anglo-French army, occupied its capital Beijing, burned the royal garden and the Old Summer Palace, and pillaged the antiques stored inside. That is why British and French museums have such a huge collection of Chinese antiques — they literally robbed China.

However, it should be noted that protection of antiques is not an easy task, no matter how strong a nation is. In early May, the United States returned some precious antiques to China, including two carved stone antiques more than 1,000 years old. Those had been sawed off a Chinese tomb in the 1990s, sold overseas, and didn't return until the US police laid their hands on them.

There are gangs operating everywhere on the lookout for antiques to smuggle out. A stronger net needs to be cast to keep those gangs in check. That's what the NCHA has done. By imposing an export ban on high-value artwork, the administration is aiming to block all channels for the smugglers and better mobilize law enforcement agencies to plug loopholes that the smugglers can exploit.