The government’s “Taiwan Culture in Europe 2025” campaign, which is to showcase Taiwanese performing arts groups and national treasures in Europe, aims to present the nation’s success as a democracy through culture, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said.
The campaign, jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, would bring more than 70 Taiwanese cultural events to 26 countries, Wu, the former representative to France, said in an interview.
One such event is the exhibition of treasures from the National Palace Museum, such as the iconic Jadeite Cabbage With Insects (翠玉白菜), at the Czech National Museum in Prague, which runs from Thursday to Dec. 31, he said.
Photo: Screen grab from Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Austria’s Web site
Performing arts groups, including U Theatre, the National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan and Ju Percussion Group, are to tour Europe in the coming months as part of the campaign, Wu said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) views culture as a great jumping-off point for deepening ties between Taiwan and European countries, he said.
The appointments of National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra Director Liu Suan-yung (劉玄詠) as Representative to Austria and metal band Chthonic lead vocalist Freddy Lim (林昶佐) as Representative to Finland were seen by many as an effort to promote “cultural diplomacy,” he added.
“Cultural events make Taiwan more visible, and the power of culture knows no bounds,” Wu said.
While China has spared no effort to sideline Taiwan politically, it was less successful in boycotting the nation at cultural events, he said.
For example, Beijing last year tried, unsuccessfully, to pressure the organizers of Festival OFF Avignon into dropping Taiwan as the guest of honor, with the Chinese ambassador to France refusing to walk past a display of 400 portraits of Taiwanese nationals representing different cultural communities, he said.
China frequently claims to “tell positive stories about China,” but because it often does bad things, it fails to do so, he added.
Taiwan should aim to create “an even greater Taiwan legend,” Wu said.
As a democracy, Taiwan offers an alternative model of success for Chinese-speaking societies, he said, adding that in Taiwan, people have respect and are free to speak their minds despite threats from China.
With many European countries facing threats from Russia, there is a growing understanding of Taiwan’s situation and increasing support from Europe, so now is the right time to promote “Taiwan Culture in Europe,” Wu said.
Taiwan’s contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic, its role in global geopolitics and its semiconductor leadership have significantly raised its profile in Europe over the past few years, he said.
The nation’s international engagement should not be limited to the US and Japan, but should also include deeper cultural exchanges with Europe, he added.
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