Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun met with senior advisors of the DC-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on May 22 to discuss the collaborative opportunities and future trajectory of the forthcoming Taiwan Creative Content Agency (文化內容策進院), an independent administrative corporation that will begin its operations of boosting content production and strengthening international branding in June.
In meeting with CSIS Senior Vice President Daniel F. Runde and Senior Advisor Bonnie S. Glaser, Minister Cheng explained that through the Taiwan Creative Content Agency, up to NT$10 billion from Taiwan’s National Development Fund and private joint investments will inject the funds needed to stimulate growth, maintain a robust cultural financing system, and bolster transnational cooperation.
The cultural economy not only generates financial dividends, it also helps disseminate Taiwan's core values of freedom, diversity, openness, and inclusivity, stated the Minister. She called on Taipei and Washington, DC to strengthen exchanges through culture and add to regional security and prosperity by promoting Taiwan's democratic way of life.
The Minister then toured the Halcyon House in DC, hoping to learn from its creative ventures that offer an ecosystem of advocacy to help innovators transform their inspiration into impact. The Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-Lab), Taipei's own cutting-edge incubator dedicated to social enterprise, will be more than delighted to embark on exchanges in personnel and resources, she said to Joshua Mandell, Halcyon's chief operating officer, and Nicole Dowd, program director of Halcyon Arts Lab.
Minister Cheng then attended the opening reception of the "Our Youth in Taiwan" Taiwanese documentary screening at the Rayburn House Office Building in Capitol Hill. Organized by nonprofit policy incubator Global Taiwan Institute, the event was attended by Steve Chabot, co-chair of the US Congressional Taiwan Caucus, and Golden Horse-winning documentary maker Fu Yue (傅榆).
In her opening remarks, Minister Cheng lauded the courage and creativity of young Taiwanese creative professionals who are sharing their tales of Taiwan with the world and demonstrating that works rooted in local memories and regional issues can capture global interest. "We look forward to sharing our free, diverse, open, and inclusive culture with the world," she stated. "Support for Taiwan's freedom means a future where the Taiwanese can continue to develop their own unique culture and add to the tales of democracy."
Read the original press release here.