台灣電子報

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan will not mark the 100th anniversary of TAIWAN of the Republic of China in 2011 with military parades, but with culture, President Ma Ying-jeou said Friday.

The government has come under fire for being willing to spend too much money on the event, including on the shooting of a new movie to accompany the national anthem.

Meeting national policy advisers from the cultural sector at the Presidential Office, President Ma said Taiwan had to make a clear choice.

“What we should show the world is not TAIWAN of the Republic of China's military force, but Taiwan's culture,” the president said.

Instead of the military parades which marked most of the past October 10 Double Ten National Day parades, Ma said he wanted cultural, artistic and academic activities throughout 2011 to mark Taiwan's “soft power.”

He expressed praise for China's recent return to an emphasis on Chinese culture, 40 years after the Cultural Revolution tried to eradicate all vestiges of old traditions. China now no longer tried to destroy the legacy of Confucius, but was opening Confucius Institutes everywhere, President Ma said.

The president also described how old Chinese traditions transformed into newer Taiwanese versions after they began growing local roots in the country. The development of freedom, democracy, and pluralism gave culture a new color.

President Ma singled out Buddhism for having added volunteer actions and modern business management techniques in Taiwan to its more than 1,000 years of history in China.

The president also praised Taiwanese designers for their outstanding results at international competitions, proving that the country possessed a strong creative vibe.