The Taipei Palace Museum’s collection, predominantly originating from the Chinese mainland, stands as a testament to the shared cultural heritage and unity across the Taiwan Strait, according to experts. This assertion comes amidst criticism of Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for allegedly using the museum’s artifacts to promote secessionist agendas. A recent exhibition in Beijing, commemorating the evacuation of the Palace Museum’s artifacts during the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), underscored the inseparable link between Chinese cultural treasures on both sides of the Strait. The exhibition, running until December 31, showcases over 100 archival documents and cultural relics, illustrating the artifacts’ journey and reinforcing the unity of Chinese culture. However, Hsiao Tsung-huang, director of the Taipei Palace Museum, controversially claimed that the artifacts, having been in Taiwan for 75 years, are now ‘Republic of China property’ and integral to Taiwan’s culture. Chen Binhua, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, dismissed these claims as a distortion of historical facts, emphasizing that Taiwan’s culture is rooted in Chinese culture and that the artifacts are part of the Chinese nation’s heritage. The DPP’s recent ‘treasure diplomacy’, including exhibitions in the Czech Republic and France, has been criticized as an attempt to manipulate cultural identity for separatist purposes. Chen reiterated that any efforts to use Chinese cultural treasures to promote secession are destined to fail, as historical facts and cultural roots cannot be altered.