Unveiling China's Ambitious Plan for Taiwan: Animated Elves and Scrolls Illuminate the Vision
China’s military released an animation showcasing its aspiration to reunite Taiwan The video, titled Escape from the British Museum, portrays the journey of two halves of a torn scroll across the Taiwan Strait, symbolizing China's pursuit of reunification with the democratic island
The Chinese military released an animation on Sunday that portrays the mission to bring together two parts of a torn scroll over the Taiwan Strait. This animation is a subtle hint to China's ongoing aspiration to "reunify" with the democratic, self-governing island. The Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) unveiled this animation on National Day, which commemorates the establishment of the People's Republic of China. It is the most recent short film that exploits nationalist sentiment surrounding valuable Chinese artifacts held abroad.
China's ruling Communist Party asserts that Taiwan, with a population of 24 million, belongs to its territory, even though it has never governed it. It has consistently pledged to "reunite" Taiwan with the Chinese mainland, even by resorting to military action if deemed necessary.
At the heart of this apprehension lies the Eastern Theater Command, responsible for overseeing military operations in the Taiwan Strait. This division of China's vast military force frequently carries out military drills, including simulated targeted assaults on the island.
The Chinese painting "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" displayed in its entirety in the National Palace Museum Taipei on June 1, 2011.
Patrick lin/AFP/Getty Images
In the animation, two cartoon elves represent the two halves of the famous artwork "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains," by Song dynasty painter Huang Gongwang.
The scroll, dating back to the 14th century, suffered damage in 1650 due to a fire, resulting in its separation into two parts. Presently, one part is safely housed at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, while the other resides at the Zhejiang Provincial Museum in Hangzhou, China. Consequently, this historic artifact has come to symbolize the enduring division between China and Taiwan.
The animation displays a single elf, symbolizing the scroll piece in Taipei, who chooses to visit her counterpart in Hangzhou. She fondly reminisces about the time when he had "come to visit me 12 years ago," referring to China lending Taiwan its share of the scroll for a collaborative exhibition of the entire artwork in 2011. This exchange took place during a brief period of improved relations between the neighboring countries.
Visitors look at "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" at the National Palace Museum Taipei on June 1, 2011.
Patrick lin/AFP/Getty Images
While traveling from Taipei to Hangzhou, the elf encounters Chinese military aircraft and maritime vessels, admiring the impressive array of weaponry and exclaiming, "Such an awe-inspiring sight!"
Upon reaching the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, the elf is joined by another elf, and together they attend the Asian Games taking place in Hangzhou. They arrive just in time to witness the Taiwan team being introduced as "Chinese Taipei" during the grand opening ceremony.
Despite Taiwan's victories in international recognition, it consistently faces a sense of loss. China's continuous marginalization of Taiwan in the global community has led to the island's exclusion from important international organizations like the World Health Organization. Even when Taiwan is permitted to participate, it is merely acknowledged as "Chinese Taipei," a label utilized at the Olympic Games and various sporting events, which has generated widespread resentment among many Taiwanese individuals.
The animation ends with the two elves rejoining both halves of the scroll.
The Taiwan delegation at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, on September 23, 2023.
Shi Tang/Getty Images
Recent years have witnessed an escalated military pressure from Beijing towards Taiwan, accompanied by fervent rhetoric on achieving "reunification," a goal firmly declared by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. This mounting aggression, coupled with a notable surge in Chinese military exercises surrounding Taiwan, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine following years of similar intimidations, has instilled deep concerns in the region regarding the potential for Beijing to replicate such actions.
In the lead-up to Taiwan's presidential election in January, the timing of Beijing's plan to enhance collaboration between Taiwan and Fujian is crucial. Not only does it highlight the advantages of increased cross-strait cooperation, but it is also accompanied by the presence of warships circling around the island to display military strength. This development adds to the complexity of the election, as Taiwan's foreign policy and its relationship with China take center stage, along with other domestic concerns such as the cost of living and limited wage growth.
Escape from the British Museum
The Chinese military cited an online sensation, "Escape from the British Museum," as the inspiration for their latest short film. This popular viral video series follows the enchanting tale of a Chinese jade teapot that magically becomes animated and sets off on an extraordinary expedition from London back to its homeland, China.The series gained immense popularity on Chinese social media, with hundreds of millions of views. The first episode on Douyin, the sister app of TikTok, has already accumulated over 10 million likes.
It was released in late August, coinciding with the British Museum being embroiled in an international controversy regarding the theft of 2,000 artifacts. These stolen items included ancient Greek and Roman artifacts, resulting in the resignation of the museum director and an ongoing police investigation.
A chair has stated that around 2,000 items were stolen from the British Museum, and efforts are currently being made to recover them. Chinese state media has seized upon the video series and the actual scandal to advocate for the restitution of Chinese artifacts presently held at the British Museum, occasionally with a strong nationalist inclination.
The removal of cultural treasures in the past continues to be a source of contention and strong emotions for many in present-day China, who also aspire to witness the return of these precious artifacts. Similar to numerous other countries, China endured considerable looting by colonial powers, especially following the 1860 Anglo-French attack on Beijing's Old Summer Palace, as well as during decades of Japanese rule that followed.
After losing the Chinese Civil War to Mao Zedong's Communist forces in 1949, Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist troops relocated some of China's valuable possessions to their new base in Taipei. As a result, the main museum on the island now boasts an exceptional assortment of Chinese artifacts and artworks, regarded as one of the finest collections in the world. In light of recent events in Ukraine, a renowned museum in Taiwan has taken proactive measures by conducting 'wartime response' exercises.
According to an article in the state-run tabloid Global Times, the "Escape from the British Museum" series has resonated with people and reflects their deep patriotic feelings. In a separate editorial, the Global Times criticized the British Museum for exhibiting Chinese artifacts that were acquired through unethical means and described it as "plundered."
Douyin users also expressed similar sentiments regarding the series, with one individual stating on National Day, "As I watched this again, I couldn't hold back my emotions and I burst into tears! I firmly believe that one day, Greater China will reclaim these artifacts with honor."
