China on Tuesday again demanded the return of two Chinese imperial bronze sculptures auctioned in Paris last week.

"The essence of the issue is that these cultural relics, which were looted and taken abroad, are originally owned by China," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told the regular briefing.

Qin's comment came after a Chinese man was identified as the successful bidder for the two looted bronze heads of a rabbit and a rat auctioned in Paris last week.

Cai Mingchao, who bid 31.49 million euros (US$39.63 million) by telephone during the auction at Christie's in Paris, on Monday told a press conference that his winning bid would not be paid.

Qin said he learned the bidder was Chinese only after Cai and the National Treasure Funds of China (NTFC) held the press conference on Monday.

"We oppose any auction of these cultural relics and demand the return of them," Qin said.

China has repeatedly demanded the return of the sculptures looted when the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) was burned down by Anglo-French allied forces during the Second Opium War in 1860. However, Christie's held the auction after a court in Paris turned down a motion by Chinese lawyers to stop the auction.

(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2009)