Taiwan’s culture minister warns of budget cut impacts

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Minister of Culture Li Yuan (李遠) on Monday (Jan. 20) warned that any government budget cuts could disrupt Taiwan's cultural events, including the Golden Melody Awards (金曲獎) and Golden Bell Awards (金鐘獎), by March or April.

The Legislative Yuan is reviewing the central government's budget proposal over two days. During the Executive Yuan (行政院) press conference, Li stressed that despite the limited government resources, cultural contributors offer significant value to society, and freezing the budget could halt activities critical to Taiwan's cultural landscape.

Li expressed ongoing efforts to persuade lawmakers to support the Ministry of Culture's (文化部) budget. He noted that even a small reduction from the ministry's already modest budget of less than NT$30 billion (US$0.91 billion) could inflict severe damage, prompting many cultural figures to advocate against the cuts.

Li detailed that these cuts affect not just public television but also publishing, performing arts, visual arts, and audiovisual sectors. The potential freezing of operational expenses threatens to disrupt many planned activities, emphasizing the precarious situation facing Taiwan's cultural sector.

Li emphasized that cultural figures do not rely solely on government subsidies and that the government should foster an environment for international exhibitions, residencies, and translations. He recalled Taiwan's past cinematic achievements and stressed the urgency of maintaining global competitiveness. Li vowed to defend the dignity and value of Taiwan's cultural contributors, ensuring efforts to secure the necessary budget continue until the last moment.