Commission to promote full-form Chinese writing

An Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission official yesterday said that the commission hoped to raise awareness of the importance of traditional Chinese characters overseas through conferences and other activities.

Cheng Tong-hsing (鄭東興), vice minister of the commission, made the comment yesterday after a meeting at the Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee of the Legislative Yuan.

Speaking to reporters, Cheng said that he hoped both overseas Taiwanese and foreigners would realize how important traditional Chinese characters were.

The commission is currently planning several activities overseas to promote and teach the traditional Chinese language and characters to overseas Chinese and foreigners, Cheng said.

This came in the wake of local media reports that the UN has plans to use only simplified Chinese characters on its Web sites and documents starting in 2008, replacing its current policy of using both simplified and full-form Chinese characters.

The plans have not been officially verified by the UN.

The commission has always been dedicated to the promotion of Chinese language education and wanted to use this opportunity to raise more awareness of and support for traditional Chinese characters overseas, Cheng said.

"I think that the Taiwanese are in general angry at the UN's plans," he said. "The public has not yet strongly voiced their protests, but if the government heads such a protest, the public will likely be very supportive."

Meanwhile, Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng (杜正勝), said during an Education and Culture Committee question-and-answer session at the Legislative Yuan that traditional Chinese characters have historical roots and meanings, making them easier to learn and more convenient to use in writing documents or letters.

Tu said that the education ministry was in the process of verifying the UN's plans.

Regardless of what the UN's decision is, Taiwan will continue to teach the traditional form, he said.