Donald Trump and Xi Jinping were due to tour the National Archives Museum in Washington D.C. on Friday. Instead, a temporary display in the main foyer vanished at the last minute. The cause was one document the U.S. planned to show: the Treaty of San Francisco of 1951.
A Chinese diplomat granted anonymity told reporters the display was removed due to a change in the event. The diplomat and two other people familiar with the matter, also granted anonymity, said the treaty was the problem.
Treaty of San Francisco
The treaty ended World War II hostilities between Japan and the Allied Powers, including the U.S. It also left Taiwan’s status undetermined, and it does not state that the island belongs to Beijing.
Beijing was angry over the treaty “because the U.S. and Japan signed it, but not China,” according to one Chinese diplomat. That omission matters to China’s position on Taiwan.
Trump and Xi referenced last week how the two countries fought together on the same side during the conflict. The treaty, however, undermines that shared history by excluding China from the agreement.
What Was on the Table
The display in the main foyer featured a brick from the Great Wall of China and a 19th century scroll sent by a Qing emperor. Both were removed at the last minute.
Other documents key to defining the U.S.’ relationship to Taiwan — the Six Assurances and the Three Communiques — were discussed for possible display but ultimately not included. Two Chinese diplomats said Chinese officials learned about the list of documents on Thursday, during Xi’s state visit to Washington.
Ninety minutes before the two leaders arrived, Chinese diplomats said it was unclear if the Treaty of San Francisco would be on display. The museum foyer was cleared by the time the leaders walked in.
What the Leaders Saw Instead
When the two leaders entered the Archives, the foyer had been cleared. They browsed original copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
Xi praised the “founding spirit” of 250 years of U.S. history. Trump responded, “Ours goes 250 years, which is great,” adding, “and we’re proud of it, but theirs goes 6,000 years.”
An administration official speaking anonymously told NPR the group viewed “important, historic documents that set the foundation for 250 years of American greatness.” The official also said the visit “offered an opportunity for both leaders to discuss the United States and China’s history and concluded a very productive state visit between the two leaders.”
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
Why China Opposes the Treaty
China prefers to reference the Cairo Declaration and Potsdam Declaration, which support the cessation of Japanese territories and their restoration to Chinese sovereignty under the “Republic of China.” These documents fit China’s view of Taiwan as part of its territory.
Beijing has intensified its criticism of the treaty since late last year, requesting other countries consider it illegal, according to U.S. diplomats. Neither China nor Taiwan signed the treaty.
Taiwan’s leaders cite the Treaty of San Francisco to argue Taiwan should have the right to self-determination. The treaty leaves Taiwan’s sovereign status as undetermined.
Ryan Hass, a Taiwan and China expert at the Brookings Institution, said the Chinese were not signatories to the treaty and do not like that it leaves Taiwan’s political status undetermined.
Diplomatic Pushback
The timing was precise. Chinese officials learned about the list of documents on Thursday, and the decision to remove the display came within hours of the leaders’ arrival.
The Chinese embassy did not respond to a request for comment.
What This Means for Taiwan
The U.S. wanted to signal its history and ties to Taiwan through the Archives visit. China opposed that framing because it was never a signatory to the Treaty of San Francisco and wants Taiwan to be treated as part of Chinese sovereignty.
The treaty’s exclusion of China from the agreement is central to the dispute. Beijing argues that the U.S. and Japan signed it without China, leaving Taiwan’s status open.
The U.S. has other documents defining its relationship to Taiwan, including the Six Assurances and the Three Communiques. Those were discussed for possible display but ultimately not included.
Broader Context
The removal of the display is part of a larger pattern of Chinese pressure on the treaty. Beijing has intensified its criticism since late last year, requesting other countries consider it illegal.
The U.S. and China remain locked in a diplomatic contest over history, and the Archives visit showed how easily a single treaty can become a flashpoint.
The sequence of events is as follows:
- Chinese officials learned about the list of documents on Thursday.
- Ninety minutes before the leaders arrived, Chinese diplomats said it was unclear if the Treaty of San Francisco would be on display.
- The display was removed at the last minute.
- The museum foyer was cleared by the time the leaders walked in.
The documents discussed for possible display included:
- The Six Assurances
- The Three Communiques
These documents were discussed for possible display but ultimately not included.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs the U.S. plan to honor its treaty obligations at the museum and is against China’s pressure to remove the display, which appears aimed at erasing a document inconvenient for Beijing’s claims on Taiwan. The removal of the Treaty of San Francisco from the Archives display was a calculated move by Beijing to keep a document off public view that contradicts its position on Taiwan.
The paper supports smaller government and less control over people’s lives, and it is against offices gathering more power, whatever party holds it. The Chinese embassy’s refusal to answer questions adds to the concern, suggesting the pressure came from above.
What the reader should watch for is whether the U.S. sticks to its obligations under the treaty and the other documents defining its relationship to Taiwan, including the Six Assurances and the Three Communiques, even when Beijing pressures museums to exclude them from display.
Source material: “Potential Taiwan tension sparked 'last minute' change in Trump-Xi National Archives visit,” NPR.
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