The legislature yesterday marked the launch of an association that would serve as a platform for cross-ministerial coordination to develop policies to support President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) “new southbound policy.”
The Taiwan-New Southbound Policy Countries Parliamentary Amity Association was inaugurated with a ceremony at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鐘佳濱), who proposed the association’s establishment, said it will be “policy-oriented,” rather than focusing on bilateral exchanges like other inter-parliamentary associations, “which is why you do not see foreign guests today.”
As the policy would be multifaceted, involving various agencies, such as the labor, health and education departments, the association can serve as a platform for cross-department communication to boost the effectiveness of policymaking and implementation, Minister Without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中) said.
DPP Legislator Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳), who is based in Kaohsiung, has been chosen as the association chairman.
She said that Tsai has called for southern cities and counties to serve as the “bridgehead” of the policy, adding that “the association can be a great platform for coordinating the efforts of local governments and the central government.”
With no diplomatic ties with any of the Southeast Asian nations, effective breakthroughs can be made via means other than official exchanges, such as parliamentary exchanges, Legislative Yuan Secretary-General Lin Chih-chia (林志嘉) said.
During yesterday’s ceremony, representatives from various ministries explained their respective policy proposals that require cross-ministerial cooperation.
Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Ho Chi-kung (何啟功) said that Taiwan has first-rate medical education and professionals who could be of help to Southeast Asian nations, “as Vietnam and Indonesia have recently contacted us about this matter.”
Taiwan can benefit from long-term care services training, or offer disease prevention advice based on its own experiences, such as dengue fever prevention, Ho added.
Deputy Minister of Labor Lin San-quei (林三貴) and Deputy Minister of Education Tsai Ching-hwa (蔡清華) said that the nation’s experience in vocational education can be a part of the policy.
“We could cooperate with Southeast Asian nations in terms of vocational education in industries they need,” Tsai Ching-hwa said.
“Occupational training involves a long chain of supply and demand from course design, class materials and training to certification and competition, which require materials and equipment as well as factories and companies,” Lin said.
Hsieh Ming-hui (謝明輝), the outgoing chairman of the Council of Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Vietnam, said the government should work on improving Taiwanese companies’ image in Southeast Asia, where they more often than not are depicted as exploiters.
“Taiwanese companies in Vietnam, for example, have made efforts in local charity activities, but as we kept them low-key, they were little known,” Hsieh said.
The government should relax restrictions on education exchanges between the two nations and try to work with the Vietnamese government on infrastructure projects,” he said, adding that Japanese and South Korean companies have been [winning infrastructure bids], but the government agencies that I have approached have been rather passive.”
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