Recognising Taiwan in Hong Kong: A Case Study of Taiwan Public Diplomacy The Kwang-Hwa Information and Culture Centre in Hong Kong 光華新聞文化中心 Tommy Kwan PhD Candidate (SOAS, University of London) Taiwan-Hong Kong Relations

Chan Tong-kai 陳同佳 Kwang Hwa Information and Culture Centre

How does it serve as the bridgehead to promote cultural diplomacy in Hong Kong, under the often complicated and often tense cross-strait relations? How has the development of Kwang Hwa mirrored the change of direction of Taiwan’s cultural diplomacy ? Agenda

• Cultural Diplomacy

• Background: The Diplomatic Isolation

• Special Treatment in the Special Administrative Region

• The History of the Kwang Hwa: From News Agency to Culture Centre

• Kwang Hwa: Pre-Reform’s Goal and Role

• 2003: The Watershed Year of Kwang Hwa

• The Kwang Hwa under the shadow of Cross-Strait Relations

• Conclusion What we talk about when we talk about Cultural Diplomacy

• To exert cultural influence

• A form of soft power (the second face of power): “To want the outcome that you want, co-opts people rather coerces them” (Nye, 2004)

• Achieve by cultural diplomacy: building the soft power

• i.e. influence the foreign(non-local) public opinion by “cultures, values, and policies”  building relationships and interactions

• A form of political strategy: to engage in cross-cultural dialogue with its popular cultural resource politically • “Culture” is always encompassing •  Difficult to define and measure the impact of the cultural diplomacy Background: The Diplomatic Isolation

• Taiwan: Diplomatically poor

• Keep losing formal diplomatic allies since President Tsai assumed office in 2016 (15 remaining)

• Soft Power influence : a rare opportunity and venue for countries with limited hard power to gain influence

• “not only as a means of promotion, but also as a means for ensuring its diplomatic survival and access to international arena” The TRO/TECRO

• The need of “Informal-diplomatic” relationships  TECRO/TRO around the world, a de facto embassy of Taiwan

• The Taipei Representative Office/ Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (Different names in different countries)

• Yet, the omission of the word “culture” in the Office does NOT mean that the office has nothing to do with culture (Cultural Division is one of the 7 divisions of the Office)

• In most cases: TECRO  Putting “culture” of equal importance as “economy”

• While “ ‘democracy’ is the most valuable soft power asset Taiwan holds internationally. Taiwan promotes culture with equal importance. Taipei Economic and Cultural Taipei Representation Office in UK Representative Office in Japan Special Treatment in the Special Administrative Region

The Special Administrative Region: Hong Kong

• Handover of Hong Kong in 1997

• A Showcase of the “One Country, Two Systems”, which was originally designed for Taiwan Role of Hong Kong in the Cross-Strait Relations:

• The birthplace of “1992 Consensus”

• An important venue for cultural exchange Chung Hwa Travel Service中華旅行社  TECRO in 2011

• A special branch office for cultural exchange/diplomacy  Kwang Hwa The History of the Kwang Hwa: From News Agency to Culture Centre

• Kwang Hwa: Founding in 1994

• Before 1994: Named as Liberal Chinese News Agency 自由 中國評論社 before 1994 for more than 30 years

• The News Agency: worked as a contacting point to communicate with foreign and Chinese press and journalist, including both Hong Kong and mainland Chinese media

• Under Government Information Office(Executive Yuan) before 2011. After the bureaucratic reform in 2012, the Kwang Hwa has now been under the Ministry of Culture The History of the Kwang Hwa: From News Agency to Culture Centre

• Name changing in 1994: 2 considerations

• 1: Prepare the handover in 1997

• Before 1997: Taiwan government decided to (also be allowed to) remain in Hong Kong after the handover

• 1995: PRC foreign minister Qian Qichen錢其琛 declared the “Qian 7 Rules”(香港涉台問題基本原則與政策). Implying that Taiwan‘s existing branches could continue operating in HK as long as they do not violate the “One China Principle”

• Continue every then-existing branches to operate in Hong Kong under the PRC sovereignty

• In order to continue working: necessary to change the name of the then Liberal Chinese News Agency

• Liberal Chinese/Free China 自由中國 could be provocative From a News Agency to a Information Culture Centre

• 2. Expand the function of the News Agency

• From only “news agency”  news agency(Information) AND culture centre

• Subtle meaning:

• Kwang Hwa光華 = Kwangyao Zhonghwa光耀中華

• Glorify the Chinese Culture

• Nye “Not only do actors try to influence each other directly and indirectly through soft power; they also compete to deprive each other of attractiveness and legitimacy, thus creating a disabling environment either in public opinion, and/or in the eyes of relevant third parties”

• The Orthodox Chinese Culture Kwang Hwa: Pre-Reform’s Goal and Role

• 2000: the 6th Anniversary of KHICC Special Issue

• Key figures from both Taiwan and Hong Kong cultural sector wrote statements to celebrate the anniversary

• Zhong qin(鍾琴), the Chairlady of the Government Information Office of the Executive Yuan:

• “the Kwang Hwa has been an important venue for culturall exchange between Taiwan, HK and China since its formation”

• “the purpose of publishing this special volume, is to showcase the fruitful achievements of the Centre in spreading the idea of democracy and prosperity. It is fighting for the future of the Chinese nations”

• 為中華民族未來發展盡一分心力 Kwang Hwa: Pre-Reform’s Goal and Role

• Founding Director Jiang Su-hui 江素惠：

• “we will keep pushing for cultural exchange in the ‘four places besides two shores’, so that we can maintain and pass the idea of Chinese culture”

• The highlights of the volume:

• 1. “Three(four) places besides two shores” 兩岸三（四）地 ; “mainland China”大陸 “frequent and close exchange” ; “Hong Kong is a “window” to communicate with China”

•  Hong Kong as a springboard to reach mainland China

• 2. Authenticity of Chinese Culture

•  The Centre is to promote Chinese Culture 中華文化 Kwang Hwa: Pre-Reform’s Goal and Role

• Forums and Seminars: about traditional Chinese art

• Traditional Chinese Art Exhibitions, for instance: Chinese Calligraphy, Chinese Painting

• Mandarin Courses for Children 2003: The Watershed Year of Kwang Hwa

• 2003: Chen Sui-bian government

• Welcome the second director: Ping Lu 平路

• Unlike Jiang’s hallf reporter, half technocrat background, Ping Lu is a well-known Taiwanese writer

• New Official Manifesto (under both Kwang Hwa and Office of Hong Kong Affairs, Mainland Affairs Council website):

• “The Centre is the cultural window of Taiwan in Hong Kong, to share the uniqueness of Taiwanese value and culture”

• “a platform to bridge and exercise cultural exchange between Taiwan and Hong Kong […] to strengthen the cultural connection between two places”

• 光華新聞文化中心是台灣在香港的文化櫥窗，分享具趨勢性、獨特性、創造性的台灣生活價值與 文化現象。 同時，光華也是台港藝文媒合中心以及服務平台，跨越台港文化差異，促成兩地 創作者、業界、市場端的對話，並建立雙向互動的策略模型，以強化台港之間的文化鏈結。 2003: The Watershed Year of Kwang Hwa

• The new official discourse: a completely shift of focus

• 1. Hong Kong is now the main target, the only target of the Kwang Hwa, instead of the whole “Greater China Region”

• Only about cultural exchange between Hong Kong and Taiwan; Hong Kong is no longer a window to reach the mainland

• 2. Taiwanese Culture, instead of Chinese Culture

• No longer talking about possessing the authentic Chinese Culture

• It is about Taiwanese Value 2003: The Watershed Year of Kwang Hwa • New Programme and Activity

• Taiwan Month and Taiwanese Dialogue

• Since 2006, “Taiwan Month” has been held every year

• Taiwan Dialogue: Invite leading cultural leaders and artists from both Taiwan and Hong Kong to share their visions

• All-star lineup and popular turnout

• E.g. modern dance artist Lin Wei-min, movie director Wu Nim-jing, theatre director Edward Lam The Kwang Hwa under the shadow of Cross-Strait Relations

Director Background In Office 江素蕙 Jiang Su-hui Technocrat/Reporter 1991-2001

平路 Ping-lu Writer 2003-2009 羅智成 Lo Zhi-cheng Writer 2010-2011 張曼娟 Chang Man-juan Writer 2011-2012 李應平 Li Ying-ping Technocrat 2012-2013 盧健英 Lu Jian-ying Writer/Cultural 2013-2016 Reporter 胡晴舫 Hu Qing-fang Writer 2016-2018 李惠美 Li Hui-mei Cultural Management N/A The Kwang Hwa under the shadow of Cross-Strait Relations

• 11 months waiting for Ping-Lu’s Visa application

• Vs

• 1 month waiting for Chang Man-jeun’s Visa application in 2011

• After Hu Qing-fang’s resignation, DPP appointed Li Hui-mei, the former artistic director of the National Theatre and Concert Hall in Taipei in May 2019. However, she is still waiting for the VISA issued by HK government The Kwang Hwa under the shadow of Cross-Strait Relations

• Taiwan Month in 2019

• In the absence of an appointed “Director”

• Kwang Hwa becomes a brand which represents the encompassing Taiwanese Culture

• Working with both Taiwan and Hong Kong artists and cultural institutions, e.g. M+, Edward Lam Dance Theatre, HKU MUSE, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Wang Yu-jun, Chiao Yuan-pu etc.

• Some late-cancellations of events due to protests in Hong Kong Conclusions

• Always a case of Cultural Diplomacy: reflecting the direction change of Taiwan cultural/public diplomacy

• From promoting Chinese Culture to Taiwanese Culture

• From forging cultural exchange with mainland China, using Hong Kong as a “window” to forging cultural exchange with Hong Kong (Two Places兩地 instead of Two Shores兩岸)

• Kwang Hwa often becomes an extended battleground of the Cross- Strait Relations

• Common tactic by China(Hong Kong), the delay granting the VISA application

• Kwang Hwa: Horse racing continues, and the dancing parties goes on