TAIPEI (Taiwan News) —  Minister of Culture Shi Che (史哲) addressed the media on Wednesday evening (March 27) with a speech expressing his hope that Taiwan could soon be recognized as “more than microchips.”

“When technology becomes mainstream, how you tell a story to the world becomes more important,” said Shih. He hoped Taiwan could leverage its freedom and democracy to create compelling stories for TV, film, and other cultural outlets.

Shi made the remarks at an event hosted by the Taiwan Journalists Association (ATJ) and the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents' Club (TFCC). Shi said that since taking office, his priorities have been strengthening Taiwanese content and building confidence in local creators, per CNA.

"If the semiconductor industry is the first step for the world to understand Taiwan, then it's very important for Taiwan to be represented by its culture," said Shi. He believes that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s (TSMC) development of fabs around the world could be a formidable rival to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

With TSMC setting up fabs in Germany, the U.S., and Japan, Taiwanese view this as high-level recognition for our advanced society, Shi said. He said that when he was a child, many people around the world knew Taiwan simply as a manufacturer of umbrellas and later, laptops. “Taiwan not only gained recognition for science, technology, and the economy, but now has soul, a culture, and a personality, helping it become more complete.” 

Shi mentioned the short documentary film "Island in Between," which was shortlisted at the 96th Academy Awards. "I often say that the Berlin Wall, North and South Korea, Kinmen and China were the three major battlefields of the Cold War. This history may have been forgotten by the Taiwanese, but it's worth developing and sharing with the rest of the world."

Shi said South Korea’s transformation into a movie production and IP powerhouse was worth learning from, specifically how it helped the country transform its international image. Shi admitted, however, that spending by his ministry is still less than 1% of the government’s overall budget, something he has been working hard to change. "Whenever I have the opportunity, I lobby for more of a budget for the Ministry of Culture, because I believe it is a very worthwhile investment."

Shi concluded by saying new technologies are creating even more opportunities for Taiwan to promote culture such as Apple’s Vision Pro, allowing augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to become mainstream. “We should make use of this technology to expand Taiwanese content and allow creators to stay ahead of trends.“