2026-1-19

The 2025 NGO International Training Program organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took place at the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum in Chiayi from December 27 to 28. Lecture topics included cultural diplomacy, technological diplomacy, tourism diplomacy, agricultural diplomacy, and youth international participation. Speakers discussed ways for the central government to work with municipalities and NGOs to promote integrated diplomacy and share its methods and results. Around 100 people from all sectors of society took part in the opening ceremony, including Chiayi County Magistrate Weng Chang-liang, Legislators Tsai Yi-yu and Chen Kuan-ting, partners from NGOs around Taiwan, and young students.

In his address, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of NGO International Affairs Chiang Zhen-wei said Taiwan's NGOs had long actively engaged in exchanges and cooperation with their international counterparts in fields including culture, technology, tourism, agricultural science, and youth affairs. He added that with their outstanding expertise and mobility, NGOs had become important partners in expanding Taiwan's international space, helping the global community see that Taiwan can help. Chiang stressed that MOFA would continue to assist NGOs in deepening international connections through a government-civil society partnership model, actualizing the concept of everyone being a diplomat.

Speaking at the opening, Weng shared the recent achievements of the Chiayi County government in promoting exports of pineapples to Japan's Yamaguchi Prefecture and other markets and the results of international exchanges. He stressed that everyone could be a diplomat and engage in civic diplomacy. 

The rich variety of topics at the Chiayi event included a presentation on technological diplomacy by Chiang, who explored opportunities for Taiwan's unmanned aerial vehicles in the current international climate. Chiang founded the Asia UAV AI Innovation Application R&D Center when he was director general of Chiayi County's Department of Economic Development. Peng Tzu-cheng, Director of the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum, shared how the institution had become a key platform for promoting cultural diplomacy. Grace Hsu, Director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Chiayi County, explained how the municipality was taking advantage of the 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi to promote tourism diplomacy. Representatives of well-known companies in the travel industry also gave presentations on concrete ways to bring the world to Taiwan.