Taipei, July 1 (CNA) Vice President Annette Lu said Monday that pushing for the development of digital television and digital broadcasting will be important to further expand the Republic of China's "soft power."
Lu made the remarks while addressing the 2002 International Symposium on Digital Television and Digital Broadcasting organized by a digital industry task force under the Ministry of Economic Affairs at the Taipei Howard International House.
The 21st century will be characterized by digitalization, which will be able to help upgrade the quality of life, Lu said at the two-day seminar attended by digital experts from the United States, Britain, France and South Korea.
Noting that the development of digital television and digital broadcasting has become an international trend, Lu said that Taiwan has been working actively to promote the two sectors over the past years, including drafting relevant regulations governing digital television and broadcasting industries and offering incentives to help boost the development of these two sectors.
She further said that the digital system mainly includes digital audio, digital video and other digital services, adding that currently, there are 21 digital broadcasting stations conducting trial broadcasting in northern, central and southern parts of the island, with various types of adapters developed for household use, car use and computer use.
As for digital television, five domestic television companies have started digital broadcasting services in western Taiwan while complete digital broadcasting is expected to begin islandwide in 2003, Lu went on.
With Taiwanese industrialists' familiarity with Chinese society and the island's electronic development, Taiwan's digital video software industry will be able to make inroads into the vast mainland Chinese market to help the country expand its "soft power," highlighting democracy, peace, high technology and human rights.