President Ma Ying-jeou has lauded Overseas Taiwan Schools’ efforts to teach traditional Chinese characters. He was speaking on Monday while receiving principals from Overseas Taiwan Schools in Tokyo, Yokohama, and Osaka, Japan.
President Ma said that there are currently 1.3 billion people using the simplified Chinese characters that are preferred in China. That’s compared to 40 million people using traditional characters. But, he said, traditional characters have their own charm. Even Korea is planning to incorporate more traditional Chinese characters in their textbooks starting in 2018.
Ma said there’s no political consideration behind the decision to teach traditional Chinese characters. He said it’s a way of preserving culture, and that he was moved by the schools’ efforts to do so.
“We really admire your efforts to teach traditional Chinese characters and to promote Chinese language education in Overseas Taiwan Schools," said Ma. "We need to show our ancestors that we have been working hard to preserve thousands of years of Chinese history and culture.”
President Ma said it’s difficult for people to switch from using simplified character to traditional ones, so it’s best to preserve both.