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Disputes remain as Taiwan, China strike museum accord
Taipei (AFP) March 2, 2009 Taiwan and China Monday forged an agreement calling for close cooperation between the two sides' most famous museums in a further sign of warming ties between the cross-Strait rivals. The nine-point agreement was reached during a closed-door meeting between top officials of Taipei's National Palace Museum and its Beijing counterpart. Under the accord, the two sides agreed to further exchange visits by researchers, as well the sharing of publications and research information. "This is the first critical step forward in the cooperation between the two museums," Zheng Xinmiao, the head of the Palace Museum in Beijing's Forbidden City, told reporters. The bulk of artefacts in Taipei's main museum were taken from the Forbidden City by the Nationalist Kuomintang as they fled the Chinese mainland for Taiwan at the end of the civil war. The museum holds more than 655,000 Chinese items spanning 7,000 years. The agreement ducks sensitive issues that are constant reminders of sovereignty disputes that have flared frequently since Taiwan and the Chinese mainland split in 1949. "The agreement will be conducted only when the official titles of the two museums and the laws of the two sides are not involved," said Chou Kung-shin, head of the Taipei museum. The title of the Taipei institution -- the National Palace Museum -- is a sticking point because it implies nationhood for Taiwan, something China refuses to accept of the island, which it still regards as a renegade province awaiting reunification, by force, if necessary. In a goodwill gesture the Forbidden City has agreed to loan 37 Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) relics to Taiwan for a joint exhibition in October. However, managers in Taipei have made it clear that the museum cannot possibly lend its collection to Beijing before the two sides forge an exemption from confiscation agreement. Ties between Taiwan and China have improved dramatically since Ma Ying-jeou of the China-friendly Kuomintang party took office last May promising to boost cross-strait trade and tourism. Related Links Taiwan News at SinoDaily.com
'Taiwan Beer' on sale in China in May: report
Taipei (AFP) Feb 8, 2009Taiwan Beer, made by Taiwan's state-owned brewery, will be sold on the Chinese mainland from May, amid warming ties between the two cross-strait rivals, it was reported Sunday. |
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