The Council for Cultural Affairs has yet to decide on whether to establish semi-official agencies in China to offer assistance to Taiwanese cultural groups performing there, Minister of Cultural Affairs Emile Sheng (盛治仁) said yesterday.
“Our objective is to set up offices at cities with a potential market [for Taiwanese cultural groups] so as to provide better administrative assistance to our troupes,” Sheng said during his first question-and-answer session with legislators at the Education and Culture Committee since he assumed his post two weeks ago.
Sheng said the offices, if established, could help promote Taiwan’s cultural capability in foreign countries, including China.
“We have [Taiwanese] cultural centers in New York, Paris and Tokyo, which have helped our cultural groups on tour there to a considerable extent. However, we have not established similar offices on the other side [of the Taiwan Strait] even though our groups have frequented [China]. We believe it is necessary for us to evaluate the possibility [of setting up offices],” Sheng said.
Sheng made the comment in response to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ting-fei’s (陳亭妃) skepticism over Sheng’s idea to set up a semi-official office in China.
Chen voiced concern that doing so would belittle Taiwan, but Sheng assured Chen that the council would push for establishing the office under the precondition of equality and mutual respect.
Meanwhile, DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) criticized Sheng’s proposal to issue “art vouchers” to students in elementary and junior high schools to help them learn how to appreciate art and performances.
Kuan said the council failed to take into consideration the gap between the development of cities and counties, adding that it would be very difficult for students in rural areas to go to art exhibitions or performances in the city.
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