Indian lawmaker Sujeet Kumar said he believes New Delhi should step up its political engagement with Taiwan, including through mutual visits by parliamentary delegations, to counter China’s “bullying” behavior.
Kumar, a member of the Biju Janata Dal party representing the eastern state of Odisha in the Rajya Sabha, India’s upper house of parliament, arrived in Taiwan on Sunday for a 10-day visit.
He is scheduled to deliver a speech at the Yushan Forum, meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), and visit several think tanks, business groups and universities.
Photo: CNA
In a media interview before leaving India for Taiwan, Kumar said he believes there is “immense potential” for developing Taiwan-India relations in the areas of trade, investment and tourism, as well as through educational and political exchanges.
“I think it’s necessary that the two countries come together, because we are both proud democracies. India is the largest democracy in the world, and Taiwan, [while] being a small nation, is a successful democracy,” he said.
He said that he plans to use the visit to explore the possibility of a free-trade agreement with Taiwan.
“In India, we are really hopeful that the Taiwanese semiconductor industry will look at India as a destination,” particularly as countries try to diversify their supply chains away from China, Kumar said.
Meanwhile, Taiwanese can learn from India’s successful service industry, and should also consider visiting the country as tourists, given its status as “the cradle of Buddhism,” he said.
In addition to building social and economic ties, Taiwan and India need to become closer politically, as both have relationships with China in which Beijing acts as “the aggressor,” whether it be in the Taiwan Strait or along the Line of Actual Control that serves as India and China’s de facto border, Kumar said.
While acknowledging that the Indian government might have reasons for adhering to a “one China” policy, Kumar said he does not believe that Taiwan or Tibet are a part of China.
Rather, it might be time for India’s government to “rethink its ‘one China’ policy,” and make clear that “China is a bully” which, if tolerated, would only act more aggressively, he said.
Kumar, elected to parliament in 2020, is also a cofounder of Formosa Club Indo-Pacific, a platform for international lawmakers working to enhance relations with Taiwan and help it connect with the world.
PROCEDURE: Although there is already a cross-strait agreement in place for the extradition of criminals, ample notice is meant to be given to the other side first Ten Taiwanese who were involved in fraud-related crimes in China were extradited back to Taiwan via Kinmen County on Wednesday, four of whom are convicted fraudsters in Taiwan. The 10 people arrived via a ferry operating between Xiamen and Kinmen, also known as the “small three links.” The Kinmen County Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said that four of the 10 extradited people were convicted in Taiwan for committing fraud and contravening the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), and were on the wanted list. They were immediately arrested upon arrival and sent to Kinmen Prison to serve their sentences following brief questioning, the office said.
Taipei and Kaohsiung have extended an open invitation to Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki after Chinese authorities abruptly canceled her scheduled concert in Shanghai. Hamasaki, 47, had been slated to perform on Saturday before organizers pulled the show at the last minute, citing “force majeure,” a move widely viewed as retaliation for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could draw a military response from Tokyo. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday said the city “very much welcomes” Hamasaki’s return and would continue to “surprise” her. Hamasaki, who has a large global fan base, including
‘REGRETTABLE’: Travelers reported that Seoul’s online arrival card system lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan),’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status. South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next
VIGILANT: Enterovirus activity remains in the epidemic phase, with the CDC urging caregivers of infected children to be on the lookout for signs of severe illness Influenza activity is rising in neighboring countries, and, with temperatures forecast to drop this week, flu cases are expected to increase in the next two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Hospitals reported 87,162 visits for flu-like illnesses between Nov. 23 and Saturday, which remained about the same level as the previous week, but nine deaths and 24 cases with serious flu complications were also confirmed last week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said. Flu activity reached a peak in late September before declining for eight consecutive weeks, CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠)
RSS