Taipei, Oct. 29 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has unveiled its array of Taiwan-themed gifts it regularly gives to visiting foreign dignitaries, which it said are designed to leave overseas guests with a lasting impression of the country.
Bruce Hung (洪振榮), who as head of MOFA’s Department of General Affairs is in charge of preparing the giveaways, made public the gifts at an Oct. 24 press conference and explained the rationale behind how they were selected.
According to Hung, MOFA usually picks light, handy, and easy-to-pack presents that can fit more easily into the luggage of the visiting dignitaries, who might have to travel to other destinations after spending time in Taiwan.
In recent years, he said, MOFA has favored gifts with Taiwan motifs, including endangered indigenous animals or flora, to promote Taiwan’s arts and culture scene and natural environment and leave guests with a positive “last impression” of the country.
Some of the most popular gifts include a Hakka tung blossom tea cup and plate set and traditional Taiwanese decorative tiles with images of the Formosan black bear, Formosan blue magpie, and Taiwan’s leopard cats, according to Hung.
Traditional Hakka indigo-dyed products, and paperweights shaped like the figures in late Taiwanese sculptor Ju Ming’s (朱銘) widely-acclaimed Taichi Series are also popular and well-liked by foreign guests, the official said.
Taiwan’s famous Alishan Jin Xuan Oolong tea and Taitung Luye Red Oolong tea, meanwhile, are great picks for visiting guests who are tea-lovers, Hung said.
There are, however, some gift-giving taboos MOFA needs to be conscious of, Hung said, such as the maximum value some countries set for gifts or the need of some visitors to publicly declare the gifts to their respective governments or parliaments.
Another consideration, Hung said, is that MOFA frequently gives away gifts showing the 12 Chinese zodiac animals.
But two of the 12 animals — the pig and the dog — are considered unclean and/or impure in Muslim culture and should not be included in gifts to guests from Muslim countries, including Malaysia, Hung said.
A former envoy to Australia posted in Brisbane, Hung said both Australia and New Zealand are extremely interested in gifts related to Indigenous Taiwanese tribes since both countries also have rich indigenous cultures.
“Every time I see gifts given by MOFA in the office of a foreign guest when I travel overseas, I know we’re doing a good job in promoting Taiwan,” he said.
