Taipei, Nov. 8 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian opened an exposition promoting national creativity in Taipei City Saturday saying that creativity and design are vital parts of the country's ability to be globally competitive.
The 2003 Taiwan Creative Design Expo is the first of its kind in Taiwan and will run until Nov. 23.
The president said that at a time when nations' economies are facing challenges of having to transform from traditional ways to globalized and higher technology industries, Taiwan must also look to its citizens for their creative approaches to research and development -- the key to improving industrial competitiveness.
The exposition was jointly organized by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Council for Cultural Affairs. The event features three halls; one displays Taiwan's industrial and commercial progress over the last 100 years; the second shows well-known Danish designs; while the third invites visitors to experience design work by creating their own styles of clay vessels and decorative patterns with material provided by the sponsors.
Because of the importance of creativity, the president said that his administration is working hard to improve intellectual property rights legislation in Taiwan to better reflect international trends.
The president said he was confident that creativity will be the engine that drives the country forward toward another "economic miracle" such as the one that saw the island emerge from a natural resource-starved country into a nation that can boast of having the world's third-largest foreign reserves.