At the Cabinet's weekly meeting today, the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) reported on promoting international exchanges among indigenous peoples, which the council said will enrich Taiwan's culture, foster friendships among global indigenous groups, and provide insights into aboriginal development policies in advanced countries.
Taiwan is an important center of Austronesian culture, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said. As such, the CIP has been participating in the activities of the United Nations and other international organizations to promote cultural, economic, academic and educational exchanges among Austronesian peoples, minority groups and native communities worldwide. He commended the CIP for its contributions to the cultural, academic and economic advancement of aboriginal peoples.
Taiwan has six diplomatic allies in the South Pacific, Jiang pointed out. To deepen friendships with these Austronesian-speaking peoples and widen international indigenous exchanges, the CIP should merge its resources with that of other government agencies. The premier also asked the ministries concerned to join the effort to raise the visibility of Taiwan's indigenous peoples and expand the ROC's international space.