India’s top envoy to Taipei said Wednesday that Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy has a logic that complements India’s regional foreign policy of building connections with its Eastern neighbors.
Sridharan Madhusudhanan, director general of the India-Taipei Association, said while Taiwan is seeking to enhance ties with countries targeted in its New Southbound Policy, India is looking east.
By boosting links with countries listed in its New Southbound Policy, including India, Taiwan is hoping to achieve sustained economic growth and to transform its economic model, with a focus on innovation and original branding, he said. “On the Indian side, we have launched the Act East Policy, to increase our connections with the region,” Madhusudhanan said.
The India and Taiwan policies, therefore, are linked by complementary logic, Madhusudhanan said.
The Act East Policy, launched in 2014 under the leadership of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focuses on India’s relations with its Eastern neighbors.
He said India can contribute to Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy, which is aimed at strengthening ties with ASEAN member nations, South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.
India is the fastest growing large economy in the world, with a GDP growth of more than 7 percent, he said.
It also has a population of 1.3 billion, a young workforce with an average age of 29 years, and a series of flagship programs such as “Make in India” and “Digital India” that were introduced under Modi’s leadership, the envoy said.
“India is inviting credible partners with capital, capability and cutting-edge technology to join in this growth,” Madhusudhanan said.
In fact, a number of Taiwan corporations have already invested in India, in areas that include information and communication technology, medical devices, automobile components, machinery, steel, electronics, construction, engineering, and financial services, he said.
The India-Taipei Association represents Indian interests in
Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties.
This story has been corrected since it was first published.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
Chinese embassy staffers attempted to interrupt an award ceremony of an international tea competition in France when the organizer introduced Taiwan and displayed the Republic of China flag, a Taiwanese tea farmer said in an interview published today. Hsieh Chung-lin (謝忠霖), chief executive of Juxin Tea Factory from Taichung's Lishan (梨山) area, on Dec. 2 attended the Teas of the World International Contest held at the Peruvian embassy in Paris. Hsieh was awarded a special prize for his Huagang Snow Source Tea by the nonprofit Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA). During the ceremony, two Chinese embassy staffers in attendance
RSS