Miss World 2015 contestant to open Asia-Pacific day in Taipei

A contestant in the Miss World 2015 pageant, Hillarie Parungao of the Philippines, is scheduled to attend the opening Saturday of an event in Taipei designed to showcase music, dance and food from across the Asia-Pacific region.

The event is aimed at promoting cultural and artistic exchanges between Taiwan and other countries in the region, according to the organizers.

Parungao was invited to attend the event to help promote exchanges between Taiwan and the Philippines, the Manila Cultural and Economic Office said Thursday. The office represents Philippine interests in Taiwan in the absence of bilateral diplomatic ties.

The Philippines is one of 21 countries participating in the two-day fair, which will take place in the lobby of the Taipei Main Station, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is organizing the event.

The Asia-Pacific Culture Day, now in its fifth year, presents music and dance performances by the participating countries, and showcase special products from each country, the ministry said.

"It is aimed at offering an opportunity for the public to get up close and personal with cultures of the Asia-Pacific region," the ministry said.

Meanwhile, in an effort to promote President Tsai Ing-wen's (???) New Southbound Policy, several Taiwanese cities and counties are also participating in this year's event.

Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, New Taipei, and Taoyuan municipalities, as well as Hsinchu County -- all have sisterhood ties with cities in Southeast Asia, the ministry said.

The ministry expressed hope that the event "will help increase understanding of Taiwan's local culture among countries covered by the New Southbound Policy" and promote bilateral exchanges.

Proposed by the Tsai administration, the policy is aimed at strengthening trade ties and other exchanges with countries in Southeast Asia and South Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

In addition to Taiwan and the Philippines, the Asia-Pacific Culture Day is also bringing together 19 other countries in the region -- South Korea, Tuvalu, Palau, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, the Marshall Islands, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, India, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, according to the ministry.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel