The Chinese President, Xi Jinping threw his full support behind Greece’s efforts for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

“Not only do I agree that the Parthenon Sculptures should be returned but you will have our support, because we also have many of our own artifacts from Chinese civilisation that are outside the country and that we are trying to bring back home,” he stated addressing the President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopios Pavlopoulos, during their visit to the Acropolis Museum on Tuesday.

The two heads of state stood before the Caryatids at the Acropolis Museum, with the Greek President calling for the support of his Chinese counterpart for the return of the Marbles from the British Museum: “[Their] place is here and not in the British Museum. They are holding them illegally. We are asking for your support,” Pavlopoulos said.