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TAEF BRIEF
October 28, 2022
No. 98 |
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CONTENT
-TAEF Updates
-TAEF Commentaries
-New Southbound Policy News
-Regional Headlines |
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TAEF Attends 2022 International Summit on Mandarin Education |
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Date of Event: October 24-25, 2022
TAEF was invited by the Overseas Community Affairs Council, R.O.C. (Taiwan) to attend this year’s International Summit on Mandarin Education as well as the exhibition held on October 24 and 25. The venue included presentations from 16 institutions, including TAEF and the Chinese Language Center of the National Chengchi University, who set up booths to display their works to the audience.
The Summit was live-streamed for one and a half days on YouTube. TAEF’s executive director Dr. Alan H. Yang was also invited to give a remark on the first day of the forum on “Industries of Mandarin Languages’ Artificial Intelligence and Its Demands and Supplies.”
Dr. Yang articulated there are three T’s which can represent Taiwan’s experience and efforts in Mandarin teaching and learning. The first one is “Tangible” which speaks for tangible daily life in Taiwan which the students and learners can experience directly. “Transparency,” as the second T, stands for transparent, direct materials of culture and language learning which need no further translation politically. The final T is “Transformation” which highlights the past journey of multifaceted transformation in Taiwan and provides abundant content and resources of cultural richness for students.
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New York-based Living Arts International Representatives Visit TAEF |
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Date of Event: October 21, 2022
On October 20, TAEF joined hands with Living Arts International Taiwan Office (or Mekong Cultural Hub, MCH) for the second time in organizing their flagship cross-cultural collaboration-focused event, Meeting Point 2022. As Chair of Board of Living Arts International Richard C. Helfer and Managing Director of MCH Frances Rudgard specifically flew to Taiwan to show support for the event, they took the opportunity to visit TAEF too.
TAEF and representatives from LAI and MCH had a fruitful meeting exploring the future avenues of collaboration in promoting cross-cultural exchanges between Taiwan and the New Southbound Policy (NSP) countries and across the globe.
MCH is a paramount platform focusing on cultural and artistic exchanges in Asia, with the Mekong River as where their groundwork starts. It aims to empower grassroots artists by bringing them together to form a collaborative and resource-sharing network. This is in sync with TAEF’s objective of establishing an Asian Culture Circle that advocates for systematic regional cultural exchanges through policy tools.
TAEF and MCH are looking at talent exchange initiatives as the next step in taking this partnership forward.
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Taiwan and Southeast Asian Artists Address Challenges in Cross-Cultural Collaboration at Meeting Point 2022 |
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Date of Event: October 20, 2022
Jointly organized by the TAEF and Living Arts International Taiwan Office (or Mekong Cultural Hub), the second edition of Meeting Point 2022 opened this afternoon, with the physical event taking place at Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-Lab) and streaming online simultaneously.
The theme for this year’s Meeting Point is “From Connection to Collaboration”, where artists from Taiwan, Cambodia, Laos, and Indonesia gathered to exchange their experiences and working methods in conducting cross-cultural collaboration. With online and on-site participants joining the conversation, this event strives to address the following question: As we begin to reconnect with people after the COVID-19 pandemic, can we re-imagine ways of working together? Is there a way to make collaboration spaces more inclusive, dynamic, and mutually beneficial through communication?
Chairman Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao of TAEF, Deputy Minister Tsung-Huang Hsiao of Culture, and Chair of Board Director of Living Arts International (LAI), Richard C. Helfer commenced the forum with their remarks. Noteworthy was that Richard C. Helfer and Frances Rudgard, Managing Director of Mekong Cultural Hub (MCH) flew to Taiwan specifically to attend this event.
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Sratnews Global
Taiwan, Tibet, Xi Jinping's CCP Congress & India's Non-Reaffirmation Of 'One China Policy' Post 2010 |
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October 14, 2022
-Dr. Sana Hashmi, Postdoctoral Fellow, Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation
Dr. Sana Hashmi was recently invited as a speaker for the Stratnews Global show, sharing her views on the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its implications for Taiwan.
After the 20th CCP Congress and once Xi Jinping is elected for the third term as the Chinese leader, China’s actions toward Taiwan are expected to be more aggressive. As the world believes that China’s reunification is imminent, Dr. Sana Hashmi thinks otherwise because the Ukraine incident and the growing international support for Taiwan would dissuade China from taking aggressive actions. Based on this reason, Dr. Hashmi thinks that the international community should talk more about cooperation with Taiwan and less about China’s Taiwan policy. Once support from the world is gradually shifted from China to Taiwan, China’s aggression will not only be deterred but also dissuaded. Therefore, Dr. Hashmi calls for more international cooperation with and support for Taiwan to ensure Indo-Pacific stability.
The US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan has marked strong bipartisan support for Taiwan from the US Congress. Dr. Hashmi urges India to take action as well to show support for Taiwan. India has been improving its relationship with Taiwan but slowly. What India should do is continuously attract Taiwanese businesses and investors to invest in Indian industries by providing a safe investment environment with smooth policies. In addition, exchanges among think tanks and visits of Indian MPs to Taiwan should also be encouraged. These acts may seem provocative to China and lead to military threats in the short term, but China’s aggressiveness will be dissuaded as time goes by. With business cooperation and investment, India and Taiwan can expect further economic development. With exchanges and MP visits, the two can gradually settle regional conflicts both in the Taiwan Strait and at the India-China borders. Regional peace and stability require joint efforts. That is why international cooperation is always encouraged. To ensure a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region, countries need to fight against China, and India-Taiwan cooperation plays a crucial role.
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Epoch Times
Exclusive Interview with Sana Hashmi: Taiwan Should Stop Hiding its Beauty |
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October 5, 2022
-Dr. Sana Hashmi, Postdoctoral Fellow, Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation
Dr. Sana Hashmi was recently interviewed by Epoch Times, sharing her observations in Taiwan and insights on Taiwan-India relations. Below are an excerpt of the interview:
Recently, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and China’s aggressions, the relationship between India and Taiwan has become increasingly close. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of international cooperation in order to resolve all types of national security issues. On the other hand, as the India-China relations have shifted from peaceful and cooperative to conflicting, India is now facing China’s threats and aggressions as Taiwan. The two countries have been sharing more and more common interests and concerns; therefore, it is time that the two sought more opportunities for cooperation with each other.
The cooperation between India and Taiwan may be disrupted due to the lack of a formal diplomatic tie and China’s intervention, but none of them should give up their efforts. The cooperation should be focused on economy and trade and exchanges. With economic and trade cooperation, the two countries can complement each other with their respective advantages and further upgrade their relationship. India, a software hub, has been inviting Taiwanese hardware companies to make investments in India. We have already seen Foxconn making the investment to set up a semiconductor factory with Vedanta in India. If TSMC can also make investments, the improvement of the relationship will be catalyzed.
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Liberty Times Net
Russia and the Reconstruction of World Order After the Russian-Ukrainian War |
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September 2, 2022
-Dr. Alan H. Yang, Executive Director, Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation
With the breaking out of the Russia-Ukrainian War in 2022, Russia has been mired in economic depression and democratic disorder while facing a decline of national power. This will not only disrupt international order but also aggravate energy crises, raising concerns among the international communities.
Mathias Döpfner, the CEO of the largest European publisher Axel Springer, once highlighted three insights with regard to the new world order and interactions with Russia. Firstly, democratic powers should establish a new power bloc with Russia and prevent it from partnering with China. Secondly, Russia will deviate further from democracy if it is continuously shamed and marginalized. Thirdly, Russia will be forced to side with either democracies or China in the post-Putin era. Based on the insights, Döpfner proposed an international prospect, AMEURUS (America+EU+Russia), meaning the three powers work together. The author interpreted this prospect as “safeguarding common values, enhancing mutual trust, and closely connected with one another.” It is the key to normalizing the relations between democratic powers and Russia.
Preventing Russia from being extremely isolated is vital for avoiding a divided world and group conflicts after the Russian-Ukrainian War. The world order and human civilization will definitely be undermined by extreme Russia and hegemonic China. Therefore, it is only wise to keep Russia away from China to secure the interests of all. “Europe is not an adversary of Russia, and China is not the only ally of Russia.” This is an important message needed to be sent to the world, and this will be the key to the realization of AMEURUS.
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NEW SOUTHBOUND POLICY NEWS |
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Taiwan News
Parliamentary Delegation from Indonesia Meets Taiwan President |
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October 27, 2022
A delegation from the cross-party Taiwan caucus at Indonesia’s House of Representatives met with President Tsai Ing-wen, reports said October 27.
After Tsai was elected for a first term in 2016, she launched Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy, targeting 18 nations, including Indonesia, for closer relations in a range of fields, from trade and investment to culture and education.
The president noted that since the start of the policy, Taiwan and Indonesia have signed 20 memorandums of understanding (MOUs). Indonesia has also become the second-largest source of foreign students in Taiwan, while more than 240,000 workers from the Southeast Asian nation are employed in the country. Bilateral trade reached US$11.3 billion (NT$362.39 billion) in 2021, she added.
Tsai met delegation leaders Mardani Ali Sera of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), his spouse Siti Oniah Warid, and Asep Maoshul Affandy of the United Development Party (PPP) Tuesday (Oct. 25), CNA reported. The president said their visit was significant because it was the first from Indonesia’s legislature since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and because it featured members of different political parties.
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Radio Taiwan International
Finance Minister Promotes Fiscal Diplomacy at APEC |
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October 21, 2022
Finance Minister Su Jain-rong promoted fiscal diplomacy and Taiwan's financial experience at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
The ministry says Su has shared how people in Taiwan can use their cell phones to file taxes and how the government is using AI and big data analytics to ensure efficient tax collection. Su also shared how Taiwan's eco-friendly initiatives support sustainable economic development and its goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The ministry says Su has met with Taiwan's partners and other members of the New Southbound Policy (NSP) during the APEC summit. Taiwan introduced the NSP in 2016 to build its relations with other countries in the Indo-Pacific region in areas like education, technology, agriculture, and economic development.
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Lowy Institute
Will the Three Ts Tie India and Taiwan? |
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October 18, 2022
India’s “Make in India” initiative has spurred development of the manufacturing and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sectors, and an increasing number of Taiwanese businesses have relocated manufacturing capacities from China to Southeast Asia and India.
One high-profile development is that Taiwanese manufacturers have registered subsidiaries to manufacture iPhones in India. Taiwan is also a manufacturing hub of intermediate goods (such as metal fasteners, fabrics, and optical panels) that can support India’s vision of building a self-sufficient manufacturing sector.
Forging a Taiwan–India supply chain partnership is attractive in a geopolitical environment where countries are seeking to reduce dependency on Chinese imports, such as the Quad’s semiconductor supply chain initiative.
When Taiwan hosted its high-profile Yushan Forum this month, it was followed by an Inaugural Taiwan–India Dialogue. Out of all the international supporters Taiwan courts through this regional dialogue, it chose India for special treatment.
But geoeconomics says that economics and politics are linked. If India wants Taiwan to share the island’s “crown jewels” to build supply chain security, it should expect that Taiwan will ask for more political support. That will require India to reimagine relations with Taiwan in line with a shared liberal democratic identity.
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The Diplomat
Southeast Asia’s Data Localization Push is a Double-Edged Sword
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October 28, 2022
With the publication of the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 (ADM 2025), member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have endeavored to promote the digitalization of the region. In this digital transformation process, data is essential because every interaction in the digital world produces and relies on data.
Realizing the significance of data, Southeast Asian countries have intensified their efforts to develop their own data governance strategies. For instance, Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia have enacted comprehensive data protection legislation. Vietnam is also aiming to unveil its full data privacy law by 2024.
However, even though digitalization is powered by data flows, several ASEAN member states have increasingly restricted cross-border data flows and even enacted data localization requirements.
This article notes that the spread of data localization norms among Southeast Asian countries is mainly driven by their common concerns over national security and digital sovereignty. Restrictions on cross-border data flows may not necessarily impede the digitalization process; rather, they could be a double-edged sword for the region.
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The Economist
Central Asian Countries are Subtly Distancing Themselves from Russia
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October 20
, 2022
Since Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, invaded Ukraine in February, huge numbers of Russians have fled, many ending up in the former Soviet states of Central Asia.
The early incomers were professionals and protesters: liberal types who quickly understood the nature of the catastrophe Mr Putin had wrought upon his own country as well as upon Ukraine. More recently have come draft-dodgers. Mr Putin announced a mobilisation of more than 300,000 Russian men last month. Since then, at least 100,000 have fled to these three countries alone.
At the apogee of the Soviet Union, ethnic Russians, who made up a big chunk of Central Asia’s urban population, were the imperial overlords. Even since independence, citizens of Central Asian states coming as migrant workers to Russia have suffered discrimination, been the butt of casual racism and condemned to the most menial jobs. The boot is now on the other foot, but Central Asians are declining to employ it against the Russian posterior. Many Russians declare amazement at the welcome given to them (though tensions are now rising as some of the newcomers default to their usual arrogance).
Read more
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Nikkei Asia
'Fortress Australia' Seeks to Become Immigration Nation Again
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October 18, 2022
The proliferation of "For Lease" signs and empty office spaces in Melbourne are just some of the scars from the world's longest COVID lockdown in Australia's second-largest city.
The capital of the state of Victoria still needs a helping hand, even as the pandemic subsides around the world. A statewide rebate scheme was reintroduced last month to support Victoria's COVID-ravaged entertainment, hospitality and tourism sectors.
But the city, the state, and the nation now face an altogether different problem. Two years of hard border closures have left businesses scrambling to fill half-a-million job vacancies in a country once considered an "immigration nation."
Nearly half of all Australians are first or second-generation immigrants. Before the pandemic, the island continent had the second-largest temporary immigrant workforce in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Now, Australia has the second worst labor shortage in the developed world behind Canada, a country where immigration accounts for nearly its entire labor force growth. The shortages are widespread, spanning the nation's hospitality, child care and aged care, health, education, and IT sectors.
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