As people grow up they must learn to face their own inadequacies and be brave enough to touch the place that hurts. I think we as a nation used to be deficient in self-awareness, but our generation has the benefit of a good education and plentiful social resources, so we can at least face our own inadequacies and shortcomings.
Self-examination certainly doesn't mean undermining oneself, for if a country has the guts to criticize itself it will actually earn the respect of the world community.
Therefore I think the most effective way of refashioning our international image is to allow cultural activity to develop naturally and to encourage international cultural exchange. This would let the world appreciate and know Taiwan; and if self-critical works could appear on the international stage I believe the world would see us afresh, as if for the first time.
Ten years ago I attended a world film festival in Italy, it was when Taiwan's new wave of young film directors was on the rise and quite a few of their works were being shown in the festival.
Special discussion panels were arranged during the festival on films from Taiwan, Portugal and the Soviet Union, and the auditorium was packed with hundreds of reporters. There was a good deal of lively questioning as they were fairly unfamiliar with Taiwan and seeing the films had made them curious.
The reporters very much wanted to know what Taiwan was really like, but the delegate on the rostrum painted an unashamedly rosy picture and glossed over every pointed question, much to everyone's embarrassment.
Hou Hsiao-hsien's recent movie City of Sadness has been a tremendous hit at international film festivals, and I have felt extremely proud to see foreign reporters standing in line to interview him. Even though this film takes a critical view of political and social issues in Taiwan in the past, it has let people round the world realize that there is scope in Taiwan for tolerance and that we can allow such a film to be produced. This makes them recognize that we are not that bad as a country.
Actually while the cultural community may advance serious criticisms of their country at home, once they go abroad they tend to maintain their national dignity and carefully weigh any responses they give to foreigners.
Also, the international media is usually not too trusting of official pronouncements, so I would suggest that the government should not only embark on a long-term enterprise of encouraging cultural activity but should also be wise enough to stay in the wings and help private bodies to carry out international exchange in the arts. Even more importantly, the power of cultural events should not be frittered away in a kind of "guerilla warfare" but be brought to bear on "long-term campaigns" and team-work if their influence is truly to bear fruit.
We should do all we can to let people know that despite our small territorial size Taiwan is a place of diversity and rich possibilities.