WASHINGTON — A planned exhibit at the U.S. National Archives Museum was abruptly altered before President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived on Friday, stemming from Beijing’s objection to a historical document related to Taiwan’s status.
According to a Chinese diplomat who requested anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak publicly, the U.S. had initially prepared a display featuring the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco. The treaty, which formally ended hostilities between Japan and the Allied Powers including the United States, does not designate Taiwan as part of China and leaves the island’s sovereignty undetermined. This omission reportedly enraged Chinese officials.
By the time the two leaders walked through the museum’s foyer, the central table displaying the controversial item had been removed. The setting had previously included a brick from the Great Wall of China and a 19th-century scroll sent by a Qing emperor. Instead, Trump and Xi, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan, viewed original copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
“It is a point of contention for the Chinese because they were not signatories to the Treaty of San Francisco, and they do not like the fact that the treaty leaves undetermined Taiwan’s political status,” said Ryan Hass, a Taiwan and China expert at the Brookings Institution. “The treaty explicitly leaves Taiwan’s sovereign status as undetermined, and Taiwanese leaders often cite the treaty to argue that Taiwan should have the right to self-determination over its sovereignty.”
Other documents concerning the U.S.-Taiwan relationship, such as the Six Assurances and the Three Communiques, were also considered for display but were ultimately excluded, according to U.S. officials involved in the planning.
An administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the group viewed “important, historic documents that set the foundation for 250 years of American greatness.” The official added that the visit provided an opportunity for both leaders to discuss their nations’ histories and concluded a “very productive state visit.”
The incident highlights the enduring sensitivity of Taiwan in bilateral relations and how divergent historical interpretations can yield immediate diplomatic consequences. Chinese diplomats learned of the initial document list on Thursday, with uncertainty persisting about the Treaty of San Francisco’s inclusion until just 90 minutes before the leaders arrived.
Beijing has intensified its criticism of the 1951 treaty since late last year, viewing it as illegal because neither the People’s Republic of China nor the government in Taipei signed it. Instead, China favors referencing the Cairo and Potsdam Declarations, which called for Japan to return territories to Chinese sovereignty.
Hass suggested the archives tour was intended to mirror Xi’s earlier hospitality in Beijing, where he showed Trump the Temple of Heaven and the Zhongnanhai gardens. “The symbolism of Xi Jinping showing the Temple of Heaven and what that stood for and President Trump showing America’s foundational documents and how they inform America’s approach to China, I think it sends a signal of the parameters of limits in which President Trump operates,” Hass noted.
Taiwan, a democratic self-governing island that China seeks to eventually control, maintains its own government and military. The United States does not recognize Taiwan as an independent nation nor has it committed to defending the island if attacked by China. However, through various legislative measures and diplomatic accords, Washington remains the island’s primary security guarantor.
As the leaders toured the cleared exhibit space, Xi praised the “founding spirit” of American history. “Ours goes 250 years, which is great,” Trump replied. “And we’re proud of it, but theirs goes 6,000 years.”
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment regarding the changes to the itinerary.
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