Officials in China and Taiwan aim to build bridges in their political relations via a museum exchange trip.

Representatives of the two national museums aim to discuss future exhibition exchanges and publicity campaigns, as well as academic and staff interchanges.

Ties between the island and the mainland became strained in 1949, when the Nationalists lost China’s civil war to the Communists and retreated to Taiwan, resulting in China invading and annexing the island. Over the past 60 years Taiwan has maintained its right to sovereignty, but faces the threat of a Chinese invasion should it declare independence.

However, since Ma Ying-jeou of the China-friendly Kuomintang party took office in Taiwan last year, relations have improved, with both sides working closely together in a bid to boost trade and tourism.

“The exchange of visits by the two museums is a crucial policy of President Ma Ying-jeou,” said Chou.

The Forbidden City’s Palace Museum has agreed to lend NPM 17 artefacts for an exhibition on Emperor Yongzhen (1678—1735), but it is unlikely that Taiwan will reciprocate the move until sovereignty disputes are resolved.

This reluctance to reciprocate the art collection exchange is controversial, given that Taiwan holds a huge collection of imperial artefacts, shipped to the island by the retreating Nationalists in 1949.