Over 100,000 people took part in Asia-Pacific Culture Day Oct. 27-28 at Taipei Main Station, highlighting the closeness of Taiwan’s ties with allies and like-minded countries throughout the region, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 
Organized by the MOFA, the seventh edition of the annual APCD spotlighted the cultures of allies Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu, as well as 12 nations such as Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea. Highlights included arts, dancing and music displays, and selections of signature cuisines from each country.
 
MOFA Deputy Minister Hsu Szu-chien said during his opening address that the event represents the effectiveness of the New Southbound Policy in expanding exchanges and links between Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific.
 
A key plank in the government’s national development strategy, the NSP is enhancing Taiwan’s agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.
 
According to Hsu, more people from the region are choosing to call Taiwan home. These new arrivals are infusing society with greater diversity and cultural richness while contributing to strengthening the nation’s democracy and economic well-being, he said.
 
Echoing Hsu’s remarks, Vice President Chen Chien-jen said the APCD demonstrates the success of the NSP in bringing Taiwan and the target countries together, as well as fostering closer collaboration and promoting peace, stability and prosperity.
 
This year’s event involved representations from Taiwan’s six special municipalities—Kaohsiung, New Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Taipei and Taoyuan cities—and Hsinchu County in northern Taiwan. According to the MOFA, all of the metropolises have twinned with cities in target countries.
 
Hsu said the presence of the special municipalities is a yardstick of local government NSP implementation and augurs well for additional tie-ups at this level. The MOFA will continue working with and supporting Taiwan’s city and county governments in creating fresh opportunities for people-centered interactions, he added. (KWS-E)
 
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