Meteorite law in China
No law names meteorites, but courts have treated a large meteorite as a natural resource owned by the state under mineral resources law.
Belongs to the state
Who owns a find? Chinese law does not mention meteorites by name. In a long dispute over a 17-tonne iron meteorite in the Altay region of Xinjiang, the herdsman who found it in 1986 sued for its return after the local government moved it in 2011. In 2018 a court rejected his claim, applying the mineral resources law and holding that the meteorite was a natural resource belonging to the state.
In practice small meteorites are traded inside China, and meteorite hunting has become popular, but large or scientifically important specimens may be claimed by the state. Export of natural-history specimens of value can need permission. Ask a provincial museum or the national academy of sciences about any find.
This is general information to help you ask the right questions, not legal advice. Laws change and their details matter, and this summary was last reviewed in 2026. Before you search, buy, sell or export a meteorite, check the current law with the authorities of the country concerned or a qualified lawyer. See meteorite law by country.
Related pages
Glossary: Meteorite ownership, Export rules, Landowner permission, Provenance