Beijing, China (March 9, 2015) — A new museum regulation is set to go into effect on March 20 that will treat privately owned museums by the same standards as those operated by government entities. According to Chinese news agency Xinhau, the new regulations were deemed necessary by government insiders to stem what they call “unchecked, barbaric growth.”
Museums have been a growth industry in China, including privately owned museums, which now account for close to 20% of the country’s total. With that growth have come issues concerning possible illegal and improper methods of artifact acquisition and handling, lack of oversight, and the misappropriation by privately owned museums of government issued funds. The government hopes that by bringing the standards to the same level as government run museums, these issues will be able to be eradicated in the private museum sector.