The Ministry of Culture is to reform the nation’s cultural content industry to protect “cultural sovereignty” from the threat of digital streaming, Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te (李永得) said on Sunday.
Lee’s remarks were published in a ministry statement released after the conclusion of the National Culture Congress, held on Saturday and Sunday.
This year’s event consisted of six symposiums with professionals and experts working in culture and arts.
Photo: CNA
Amid the rapid growth of digital content and streaming, young people have an abundance of information readily available from around the world, and the government must help develop the Taiwanese content industry to protect the nation’s cultural sovereignty, the ministry said.
The ministry is seeking to consolidate the nation’s resources and continue to work with experts to find solutions to preserve cultural sovereignty, it said.
Sunday’s talks covered four main topics: visual arts, performing arts, digital cultural communications and the application of technology to culture, it said.
The congress, which is usually held every four years, was for the first time delayed for a year, after last year’s event was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lee said the event was fruitful, adding that he learned a lot from speaking with people who work in cultural preservation and promotion.
The congress is intended to collect opinions from a wide range of sectors and map out national cultural development.
This year’s congress yielded 122 suggestions that Lee described as “culture policies” the ministry would either consider or carry out after internal discussions.
The ministry spent almost an entire year mapping out the topics for this year’s symposiums, and collecting opinions from the public and professionals working in cultural sectors, Lee said.
While Taiwanese are proud of the nation’s rich cultural foundation, Taiwan’s cultural production capability has been insufficient, resulting in policies often implemented with unclear goals, he said.
To address the long-unresolved problem, changes must be made to budgets for programs and in how the nation thinks about culture, he said.
Cultivating talented people dedicated to the development of the nation’s cultural content industry would also help tackle the problem, he added.
Information about the congress, such as discussions, are to be posted on the event’s Web site (https://nccwp.moc.gov.tw).
Suggestions and ideas about the topics addressed at the congress can also be submitted on the site, the ministry said.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
Temperatures are forecast to drop steadily as a continental cold air mass moves across Taiwan, with some areas also likely to see heavy rainfall, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. From today through early tomorrow, a cold air mass would keep temperatures low across central and northern Taiwan, and the eastern half of Taiwan proper, with isolated brief showers forecast along Keelung’s north coast, Taipei and New Taipei City’s mountainous areas and eastern Taiwan, it said. Lows of 11°C to 15°C are forecast in central and northern Taiwan, Yilan County, and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, and 14°C to 17°C
STEERING FAILURE: The first boat of its class is experiencing teething issues as it readies for acceptance by the navy, according to a recent story about rudder failure The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first locally built submarine, allegedly suffered a total failure of stern hydraulic systems during the second round of sea acceptance trials on June 26, and sailors were forced to manually operate the X-rudder to turn the submarine and return to port, news Web site Mirror Daily reported yesterday. The report said that tugboats following the Hai Kun assisted the submarine in avoiding collisions with other ships due to the X-rudder malfunctioning. At the time of the report, the submarine had completed its trials and was scheduled to begin diving and surfacing tests in shallow areas. The X-rudder,