It will take China 100 years to have all its heritage sites included on the World Heritage List, Wang Fengwu, a member of the Chinese delegation attending the 30th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC), said on Tuesday (July 11).

In an interview with Xinhua, Wang, who is also deputy Director-General of the Department of Urban Development in China's Construction Ministry, said more than 200 sites in China aimed to apply for inclusion on the list.

Among them, more than 60 sites have been put on the preparatory list of world heritage. These include 17 natural sites, around 30 cultural sites and 13 mixed ones, Wang said.

But each year, only two sites, one natural and one cultural site, at most in each state party of the WHC are allowed to apply to be put on the list.

If all the intended Chinese sites were to make it on to the list, it would take about 100 years, he said.

Wang added that inclusion was not the final goal, although being on the list could bring huge economic and social benefits to local people.

"What's more important is that the local government will have to commit itself to proper conservation and management of the heritage under international conventions," he said.

The phenomenon of putting too much stress on application while paying too little attention to management and protection should be changed, Wang said, adding that the core of the World Heritage Convention is protection, not development.

The session of the WHC focused more on conservation, not otherwise, he said.

He quoted various international sources as saying that the World Heritage Convention is "a convention with teeth", which can sanction those who fail to protect their listed heritages.

The July 8-16 session of the World Heritage Committee held here has been examining 37 new sites from 30 states parties bidding to be included on the World Heritage List.

Two Chinese sites -- the habitat of the Great Panda in southwestern Sichuan province and the ruins of the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC to 1046 BC) capital in Anyang city of central Henan Province -- are among the 37.

The result is expected to be announced on Wednesday.

Currently, China has 31 sites on the World Heritage List.

Editor: Wing