The State Administration of Cultural Heritage has just issued China's 13th national five-year plan in the field of archeology. The plan calls for the country to step up underwater archeology during the coming years.

Over the next three years, China will start a series of archeological projects along the Xisha islands, Nansha islands and some other key areas along the country's coast. At the same time, the country will upgrade its museums, to enhance their educational functions for students. Technological upgrading and law enforcement in this field should also be strengthened.

China now has fifty world heritage sites, ranking second in the world in number. And the country now has four-thousand-six-hundred-ninety-two museums, with four-thousand-thirteen of them free of charge.