Culture next on Taiwan-China agenda

At the first ever Cross-Strait Cultural Forum, which gathered more than 130 cultural officials and personnel from both sides of the Taiwan Strait in Taipei Monday, officials agreed that Chinese culture is a basis for exchanges between the two sides.

“Chinese culture is the 'greatest denominator' in cross-strait relations, given that it's not as sensitive and both sides do share similar culture, “ Liu Chao-shiuan, president of the National Culture Association and Taiwan's former premier, said in the opening ceremony.

Liu said Taiwanese people are proud of their preservation of traditional Chinese culture, as well as their Taiwanese culture, which has been known for its diversity and mixed influences from Japan, Western countries, and more recently, Southeast Asian countries.

Liu told the one-day forum that Taiwan would gladly share its distinctive culture with mainland Chinese people.

Chinese Minister of Culture Cai Wu, who is leading a delegation of more than 40 officials for a visit here from Sept. 2-8, urged Taiwan and China to work together to “create a positive atmosphere for the signing of a culture agreement.”

He is only the second cabinet-level Chinese official to visit Taiwan, according to Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council.

Quoting Chinese President Hu Jintao, Cai said that “no misunderstanding between both sides of the strait is irremovable” and Taiwan and China should “deepen cultural exchange as soon as possible, after the signing of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (the trade agreement) in June.”

He also offered a four-point plan from the Chinese side which includes the institutionalization of bilateral cultural exchanges, collaboration on development and promotion of Chinese culture, establishment of a platform for further exchanges, and strengthening cooperation between Taiwan and China's creative industries.

The appeal echoed Hu's six-point proposition to Taiwan, which he announced in his public address on Dec. 31, 2008. They included “stressing common cultural links between the both sides.”

While analysts believe China intends to push Taiwan to discuss political matters after the signing of the trade deal, which aims to liberalize trade, Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou has stated that no political talks will take place during his current term or a possible second term.

So far, China has instead focused on cultural exchanges on its cross-strait agenda. Several cross-strait cultural creative exhibitions and seminars have been held in China, including the first-ever joint exhibition by the two sides' national museums in 2009, and another upcoming joint exhibition by the museums.

Emile Sheng, Minister of Taiwan's Council for Cultural Affairs, acknowledged that “unlike politics most of the time, culture would not be a 'zero-sum game'” and suggested that Taiwan and China should establish official cultural offices on each other's territory.

However, Sheng pointed out that Taiwanese culture has developed over the years as “Chinese culture with Taiwanese characteristics” and “certain values should not be forced upon others.”

He added that the two sides' governments have different approaches toward cultural development, with Taiwan's government viewing itself as the supporting cast and helping hands of cultural creative industries while its Chinese counterpart takes a front-seat role in cultural development.

Sheng told the media after the opening ceremony that there is no timetable on setting up official cultural offices and negotiations of a culture agreement, because bilateral culture exchanges take time.

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