CHINA’S iconic Terracotta Warriors are making a defiant stand — against a rising tide of fakes which authorities claim have infringed their copyright.

The Mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang warned in a statement that it “reserves the right to pursue” anyone it believes infringed the copyright of the army of ancient stone soldiers, horses and chariots.

The warning came amid media reports that museum officials are planning to sue two “terracotta warrior” attractions.

Shanghai-based web portal thepaper.cn cited a lawyer saying the museum was “preparing” a case against owners of a huge display of soldiers in China’s eastern province of Anhui and an exhibition of replicas at a train station in Belgium.

The Anhui theme park last week attracted accusations that it was seeking to cash in on the original terracotta warriors, which are considered one of China’s must-see tourist sites.

The attraction in Belgium appears to be an exhibition of dozens of replica lifesize warriors in the Liege Railway Station, according to Xinhua news agency.

The terracotta army guards the burial site of Qinshihuan, China’s first emperor. (SD-Agencies)