The National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan Tech) and the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) jointly inaugurated an office in Taipei on Saturday, with the aim of deepening ties between them. The Tokyo Institute of Technology Engineering Office in Taiwan will be responsible for faculty and student exchange programs and business internships between the two schools, said Liao Ching-jong, president of Taiwan Tech, where the office is located.

Another eye-catching performer is Mixer. Formed in 2013, the rock group won Best Band at the Golden Melody Awards last year and has participated in ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs-backed cultural diplomacy tours of Japan and South Korea, with their energetic shows proving popular with both local and overseas audiences.

Screams rang out Saturday night across the Los Angeles Sports Arena as Taiwanese band Mayday brought its brand of Asian stadium rock to an all-Chinese audience for a show celebrating its 15th anniversary.

The successes chalked up by Lung transformed Taipei into a world-class city of culture, explaining why she is tipped to repeat this feat on a national scale and take Taiwan’s soft power to the next level.

Essayist and cultural critic Lung Ying-tai, who took over as the new Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA) minister yesterday, said she believes a nation’s strength is determined by its “soft power” and that culture begins in the most remote places.

"The soft power of Taiwan's small- and medium-sized businesses comes from innovation, overseas market expansion and efficiency,: said Chiang. "Mainland China, meanwhile, has hard power such as a big labor force, and abundant land and resources."

With a ban on individual Chinese tourists soon to be lifted, the Taipei City Government yesterday issued travel brochures to attract that growing segment of the industry. The brochures…include introductions to the city’s major attractions, maps and coupons for 32 stores and restaurants.