Asia-Pacific Culture Day showcases regional ties

2015/10/27

The 2015 Asia-Pacific Culture Day concluded Oct. 25 at Taipei Main Station, demonstrating the government’s commitment to fostering stronger ties between Taiwan and its partners throughout the region.

Commencing the previous day, the fourth edition of the annual celebration featured exhibitions and performances, as well as an array of specialty cuisines from six of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies and 13 partners in the Asia-Pacific, according to event organizer Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

They are Australia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Malaysia, the Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, the Philippines, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, South Korea, Thailand, Tuvalu and Vietnam.

Vice President Wu Den-yih said at the opening ceremony that the fair helps participating countries showcase the diversity and richness of the Asia-Pacific community.

“Taiwan boasts a close-knit relationship with its regional partners due to common cultural and anthropological backgrounds,” he said. “It's crucial for the government to take this bilateral understanding and communication to new heights.”

According to Wu, tourism and people-to-people exchanges between Taiwan and Asia-Pacific nations are going from strength to strength. “ROC citizens made more than 11 million visits to Asia-Pacific nations last year,” he said. “That’s up by 1 million year on year.”

In addition, an increasing number of new immigrants—especially from Southeast Asian nations—have taken up residence in Taiwan, mostly in pursuit of advanced education or job opportunities.

“This new demographic has enriched our society by bringing over their respective arts, cuisines and types of entertainment,” the vice president said, adding that they have facilitated two-way exchanges in the most direct and approachable manner.

Going forward, Wu said he expects such enhanced interactions to help build stronger cultural ties and promote regional integration between Taiwan and its friends in the Asia-Pacific.

“We will continue hosting events such as Asia-Pacific Culture Day as a way of deepening Taiwan’s cultural diplomacy and boosting peace and prosperity throughout the region.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=238203&ctNode=2194&mp=9)