National Museum of Scotland Taiwan Map Controversy: Museum Cites UN Guidelines

(Central News Agency, London, 9th by Chen Yunyu) A map used in the permanent East Asia exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland, which colors China and Taiwan as the same block, has sparked controversy. National Museums Scotland (NMS), the museum's governing body, told CNA today that it follows the UN geoscheme as a reference, a system that does not include Taiwan. Ding Chih-hua, Director of the Taipei Representative Office in Edinburgh, told CNA that the office has clearly conveyed its position to relevant authorities and will continue to explain Taiwan's political and economic development to Scottish society and promote interaction and exchanges.

The controversial map appears in the "Exploring East Asia" gallery at the National Museum of Scotland. NMS is a public body funded by the Scottish Government, akin to a statutory corporation in Taiwan, and operates several museums including the National Museum of Scotland and the National War Museum.

Recently, a foreign friend who has long followed Taiwan issues shared a post on social media criticizing the exhibition map for "incorporating Taiwan into Chinese territory" and "aiding China's information warfare," which is harmful to both Taiwan and the reputation of a key Scottish public institution. The post sparked discussion and widespread sharing on Taiwanese internet.

The "Exploring East Asia" permanent exhibition opened in 2019. Located in Edinburgh, the National Museum of Scotland holds over 23,000 East Asian artifacts, making it the largest collection of East Asian culture in the UK outside of London.

According to the museum's website, the exhibition introduces three East Asian cultures: China, Japan, and Korea. In the sections on Japan and Korea, the museum uses dark green to mark the current territories of Japan and Korea for visitor identification. However, in the China section, the museum uses dark green to mark both China and Taiwan.