China withdraws from Gwangju Biennale over Taiwan name

China has announced its withdrawal from the 16th Gwangju Biennale, a major art exhibition in South Korea, in protest over the naming of Taiwan's pavilion. The Chinese curatorial team stated they found the use of "Taiwan Pavilion" unacceptable, citing it as a political interference in art. The Gwangju Biennale is scheduled to open on Saturday, September 5, 2026, and run until November 15. The dispute centers on the designation for Taiwan's participation within the Biennale's Pavilion Project, a series of smaller national and institutional galleries separate from the main exhibition. Initially, Taiwan's pavilion was listed under the name of its commissioning institution, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA). According to organizers, they later approved the request to use "Taiwan Pavilion" following criticism and delays, after the Taiwanese museum insisted on the name. China, which considers self-governing Taiwan to be part of its territory and adheres to the One China Principle, views any designation that implies Taiwan's sovereignty as a violation of diplomatic policy.