Taiwan threatens to cancel crown jewels exhibit in Japan over publicity mistake

A furious Taiwan yesterday threatened to cancel a long-planned exhibition of the island’s treasures in Japan after Tokyo organisers dropped the word “national” from the National Palace Museum’s name in publicity materials.

Taipei interpreted the move as a refusal to recognise Taiwan’s claimed sovereignty and an adherence to Beijing’s “one China” policy, which declares Taiwan as Chinese territory, subject to eventual reunification.

“President Ma Ying-jeou has been greatly concerned over the case … and demanded that if the Japanese side fails to react positively, all such exhibition activities in Japan must be scrapped,” Ma said in a statement.

First lady Christine Chow Mei-ching would also call off her plan to attend the opening ceremony of the exhibition, the statement said.

Chow was originally scheduled to lead a delegation to Japan on Sunday for the opening ceremony of the exhibition next Monday.

The show will have 231 valuable art objects on display from June to November at the Tokyo National Museum and the Kyushu National Museum.