At a press conference in Beijing on March 2, Nicholas Niu, Vice Secretary General of the China Lost Cultural Relics Recovery Foundation, said that Cai Mingchao, a collection consultant for the China Lost Cultural Relics Recovery Foundation, participated in the auction of the rabbit head and rat head from the Summer Palace in Paris, France, and became the final bidder.
Niu told reporters: Although Cai Mingchao purchased the rat head and rabbit head from the Summer Palace in Paris, France at a total price of 31.49 million euros, because he has not yet paid and is still within the payment deadline, it is unknown whether the auction will ultimately be successful.
Cai Mingchao said at the press conference: "I will not pay. In such a situation at the time, every Chinese would stand up, I just did my duty."