BEIJING - China's modernization is threatening the survival of its cultural relics, Culture Minister Cai Wu said on Friday.

Cultural relics in some places have been damaged or destroyed as a result of development, he said.

Some historic and culturally important cities, urban communities and villages have seen their appearance change and some modern relics have been destroyed by urban construction, he said.

The minister said China faces a "grave situation" in terms of preserving its cultural relics due to illegal excavation, smuggling and theft.

Some intangible cultural heritage has become extinct and ethnic and regional culture is dying off, he said.

Cai said the Law on the Protection of Cultural Relics, which was promulgated in 1982 and has been amended several times since then, is no longer effective and must be updated.

The Ministry of Culture recently conducted a survey regarding the protection of cultural relics. Survey participants said the government needs to improve efforts to build a comprehensive national network to better preserve cultural relics, according to a statement from the ministry.