Activists in Taiwan deface statues donated by Jackie Chan

CHIAYI , Taiwan, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Activists in Taiwan have vandalized two Chinese statues donated by Jackie Chan amid growing tensions between the two nations.

The replica statues Chan donated to the National Place Museum's branch in the southern city of Chiayi are based on Imperial Chinese relics from the Qing Dynasty representing a bronze dragon and a horse's head.

As reported by The Guardian, the statues were defaced with red paint with the words "cultural united front" written on them by two unidentified protesters authorities believe to be a man and a woman. The phrase is used in Taiwan to refer to China's attempts to reintegrate the island after the two nations split after a civil war in 1949.

"A large part of the National Palace Museum's collection originates from the Qing imperial collection, that is Chinese cultural pieces," the museum said in a statement condemning the acts. "If exhibiting relics related to Chinese culture is considered 'united front', how can the [museum] continue to operate?"

Chan, who has close ties to China's communist party, is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which is China's top political advisory body that has been criticized in the past for criticizing Taiwanese democracy as "the biggest joke in the world."