On March 17th, Ambassador Remus Li-Kuo CHEN, together with colleagues from the Taipei Representative Office, attended the grand opening of the Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning (TCML) at the Ecole Sun Yat-sen de Belgique. Furthermore, we are honor to have Mr. Emmanuel DE BOCK, the Member of Brussels Parliament, Mrs. Yasuko Takeda, Chief de Bureau de Bruxelles of NHK, and Foreign correspondent TIEN His Ju of Central News Agency to join with us.
During a speech at the event, Ambassador CHEN emphasized that Taiwan is the best option for those looking to learn traditional Mandarin, not only because the language preserves an authentic cultural essence, but also because Taiwan provides several scholarships such as the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship Program, Taiwan Scholarship program and Taiwan-Europe Connectivity Scholarship Program, to students who have an interest in learning the language and culture of our beloved country, Taiwan. Through these efforts, Ambassador CHEN added, we hope to enhance cultural exchanges between Taiwan and Europe, and to acquaint our European friends with the freedom and democracy of Taiwan.
Mr. Emmanuel DE BOCK shared his thought with all the audiences to mention that the inauguration of TCML will allow many inhabitants of Brussels, Capital of Europe, Capital of Belgium to learn, to share Taiwan’s culture and language. Language is also a claim to existence, to identity. Language is the recognition of what differentiate us, but also the hope of all that can bring us together
Mrs. KUO Foncy, Director of the newly-opened TCML, and Mr. LAI Shan-Lin, the Council Member of the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) followed by delivering their remarks and expressing gratitude to the Taipei Representative Office and the OCAC for helping to establish the TCML.
At the end of the ceremony, Ambassador CHEN, Mr. Emmanuel DE BOCK together with Director KUO, Chairman LIU Miao-Erh and President TU Te-Fen of the Ecole Sun Yat-sen de Belgique, and Mr. LAI Shan-Lin, Council Member of the OCAC, jointly unveiled the plaque for the newly established TCML which symbolizes a new era of cultural cooperation between Taiwan and Europe.
