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TAEF BRIEF
December 2, 2022
No. 100 |
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CONTENT
-TAEF Updates
-TAEF Commentaries
-New Southbound Policy News
-Regional Headlines |
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Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and the Czech Economic and Cultural Office Taipei Visits TAEF |
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November 24, 2022
On November 24th, TAEF was honored to welcome Mr. Marek LIBRICKY, Director of Asia and Pacific Department of Non-European Countries, Economic and Development Cooperation Section of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, and Mr. David STEINKE, Representative of Czech Economic and Cultural Office.
Dr. Sana Hashmi, Postdoctoral Fellow of TAEF along with other colleagues gave a thorough presentation about TAEF’s five flagship programs. Both sides exchanged ideas about the NewSouthboundPolicy and action plans in exploring the avenues for future collaboration.
In addition, the Czech government published a document on its Indo-Pacific strategy this year. The document included the country’s intent to work with Taiwan in the region.
The Czech Economic and Cultural Office Taipei has been established for 30 years in Taiwan. Taiwan and the Czech Republic will continue to stand as democratic partners by upholding our shared values.
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TAEF Hosts the AIIA Delegation Think Tank Forum |
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November 11, 2022
In early November, TAEF had the pleasure to receive a delegation from the Australian Institute for International Affairs (AIIA), Australia’s longest-existing private research institute on politics and international relations. In this one-week-long program, the delegation met Taiwanese officials and Australian officials in Taiwan, participated in forums on security, visited NGOs advocating representation in Taiwan for a range of pressing issues, and had a great time for cultural exchange, among others. On the second last day, the study tour was highlighted with a Think Tank Forum organized by TAEF at the Okura Prestige Taipei.
During the forum, delegates from the AIIA and experts and scholars from Taiwan exchanged views on the prospects of inter-regional strategic partnership and think tank collaborations in advancing track II diplomacy. The delegation also shared their discovery of Taiwan over the trip.
Dr. Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao, Chairman of TAEF, remarked that think tank partnerships, like this one, are valuable for advancing Taiwan-Australia relations and promoting greater understanding between our cultures and people. Bryce Wakefield, the National Executive Director of AIIA also expressed that AIIA is particularly poised to engage in Track II diplomatic exchanges because it is a membership-based organization that promotes open dialogue and diversity of opinion.
More details of the study tour and the think tank forum will be highlighted on TAEF's website, social media, and TAEF Brief in the coming weeks.
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Focus Taiwan
Indian Community Comes Together for Diwali Celebrations in Taipei |
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November 4, 2022
-Dr. Sana Hashmi, Postdoctoral Fellow, Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation
Indian expatriates, Taiwanese locals, and guests of all nationalities came together at American Club Taipei on November 4 for a Diwali celebration hosted by the Indians in Taiwan (IiT) group.
The celebrations to mark Diwali, also known as "The Festival of Lights," saw Indian and Taiwanese officials light a large lamp, while others made offerings to Ganesh before traditional Indian dancers took to the stage.
Dr. Sana Hashmi, TAEF's postdoctoral fellow, told CNA she felt relations between Taiwan and India had improved significantly in the last three years.
"It's common challenges for sure and the realization that they have shared interests," she said. "And it's important for both India and Taiwan to look towards each other to cooperate and find ways to enhance cooperation."
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Taiwan Employment Gold Card Office
An Indian Scholar Seeks to Create Mutual Exchange Between Taiwan and India |
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October 24, 2022
-Dr. Sana Hashmi, Postdoctoral Fellow, Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation
Dr. Sana Hashmi, TAEF's postdoctoral fellow, spoke to writer Michelle Kuo upon the invitation of the Taiwan Employment Gold Card Office on setting up a career in Taiwan and her experiences in promoting mutual exchanges between Taiwan and India.
In this interview, Dr. Hashmi talked about why Indian scholars, educators, journalists, and professionals should consider coming to Taiwan. In particular, she observed, there are few scholars in India with knowledge of Taiwan. Yet living here has proved crucial to her scholarly work. It has given her a richer and more dynamic understanding of international relations. While studies of India-Taiwan relations tend to focus almost exclusively on the security domain, living in Taiwan has equipped her with an interdisciplinary perspective that integrates culture, experiences from daily life, and social relations.
Although being a de facto ambassador can be a lot of pressure—Dr. Hashmi said in the interview she’s often the only Indian person in the room—she has found a home away from home here. “Taiwan has a welcoming heart,” she said. She shared her hopes for Taiwan-India relations, gave advice to Taiwanese people seeking international visibility, and described a close-knit Indian community here in Taiwan. “Mutual knowledge is a work in progress,” she said. “I wish to see more exchanges between Indians and Taiwanese people.”
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NEW SOUTHBOUND POLICY NEWS |
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South China Morning Post
With China a Mutual Concern, Investment Accelerates between Australia and Taiwan |
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November 30, 2022
Investment between Australia and Taiwan has grown in both directions this year as the two sides try to diversify away from mainland China and eye each other’s energy sectors.
Australian investments in Taiwan climbed to US$114 million in the first 10 months of the year, up from US$68.69 million in 2021 and US$79.83 million in 2020, according to Taiwan’s Investment Commission.
Analysts say China’s cooling economy plus a chill in cross-Strait ties are slowing the flow of Taiwanese money into the mainland and diverting it to Southeast Asia, India, or further afield.
Taiwan’s six-year-old New Southbound Policy explains some of the bilateral investment with Australia, a commission data analyst said. The policy encourages more trade, investment, travel and study between Taiwan and 18 Asia-Pacific countries, including Australia, although mainland China is not on the list.
“What we’re promoting now is the New Southbound Policy and its scope is broad,” the commission source said. “We want to diversify risks.”
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Radio Taiwan International
University to Cultivate Vietnamese Tech-Talents in Taiwan |
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November 17, 2022
The Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee (OCAC) is cooperating with Hungkuang University of Science and Technology to train talented Vietnamese in Taiwan. Hungkuang University announced this in a press release on November 17.
Hungkuang University President Laura Huang presided over the ceremony. She said the school has set up two-year associate degree programs with rich teaching and learning resources. Concentrations will be in Medical Equipment Development and Application, Food Technology, and other areas.
OCAC Chairman Tong Chen-yuan said the training center links the Vietnamese community and Hungkuang University’s educational resources. Industries can also provide internship and employment opportunities for students returning to overseas residences or staying in Taiwan.
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EE Times Asia
Taiwan-India CEO Roundtable and Industrial Collaboration Summit Recap |
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November 11, 2022
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) jointly held the 1st India-Taiwan CEO Roundtable and the 6th India-Taiwan Industrial Collaboration Summit with the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and the Chinese National Federation of Industries (CNFI), respectively. These events were the first to be held between Taiwan and India in New Delhi after the opening of Taiwan’s borders. Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chern-Chyi Chen led a delegation of government officials, industry associations, and high-level representatives of enterprises investing in India to participate.
The Roundtable was launched to improve the interaction between companies from both sides and deepen cooperation on investment. This year focused on the EV and ICT industries, as well as battery manufacturing. Both sides expressed willingness to strengthen cooperation on supply chains and startups. A joint statement was issued, pledging deeper strategic alliance cooperation between respective companies in terms of market operations and investment, while suggestions would be put forward regarding future policies adopted by both governments.
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The Diplomat
As G20 President, Can India Advance Its Multipolar Worldview?
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December 2
, 2022
Days after the G-20 summit in Bali, which marked the end of the Indonesian presidency and heralded the group’s Indian leadership for the new term beginning in December, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed his domestic audience about India’s “big opportunity” to “focus on global good.”
Thus, the overarching theme of India’s G-20 presidency will revolve around development (making the G-20 “a catalyst for global change”). This primarily involves facilitating the redistribution of global goods by enhancing sustainable partnerships between developed and developing countries, and also reinvigorating South-South cooperation.
Undoubtedly, it will be a vehicle for India to unshackle itself from its long-standing image as an emerging middle power with untapped potential and move toward achieving its great power ambitions by hopefully closing the gap with major powers like China and even Japan – the latter an influential “like-minded” partner with its own burgeoning global (or Asian superpower) ambitions.
But will the G-20 presidency help advance India’s multipolar worldview and create a credible partnership between nations that above all furthers the Indo-Pacific’s peace and prosperity? Or will it constrain India’s strategic choices, largely because of the increasing polarization between G-20 members such as the United States-led allies versus China and problems arising out of Russia’s increasing isolation?
Read more
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Nikkei Asia
Climate Change Not Only Reason for Pakistan's Flooding Toll
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November 23, 2022
The government of Pakistan has firmly blamed recent flooding, which killed some 1,700 people, displaced more than 2 million and caused $30 billion in losses to homes, businesses and farms, on climate change.
As chair of a group of 134 developing states at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Egypt this month, Pakistan has cited the damages it suffered to demand that industrialized nations pay reparations for degrading the Earth's atmosphere.
Yet to focus only on the damages is to overlook how authorities in Pakistan handled the flooding -- or failed to.
In this regard, it is important to note that after uniting to pass constitutional reforms in 2010 that both curbed the powers of the presidency and granted more political and financial powers to local authorities, Pakistan's major political parties have continuously stalled on putting the latter reforms into effect.
As a result, political authority remains concentrated in national and provincial capitals, with lower tiers of government either nonexistent or virtually powerless to offer services.
What Pakistan needs is a tier of political authority with the administrative and financial capacity to provide better governance at the grassroots level. This is not a problem that can be solved by U.N. conference delegates.
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The Economist
Authoritarians Are Making a Comeback Across South-East Asia
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Novemrber 18, 2022
Southeast Asia has long showcased authoritarianism’s full range of options, from communist dictatorship (Vietnam, Laos), capitalist dictatorship (Cambodia) and military dictatorship (Myanmar) to absolute monarchy (Brunei), one-party rule (Singapore) and patronage-based democracy (Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines).
But over the past decade the region was buoyed by a newfound hope that democracy was, at long last, taking root. In a remarkable run of elections starting in 2014, voters demanded change and—surprisingly—seemed to get it. That year Indonesians chose as their president Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi. He was a political outsider who did not hail from an army family or the elite.
In 2015 the electorate in Myanmar overwhelmingly voted for the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, a champion of democracy. The army, which had ruled the country for nearly 50 years, allowed her to take office. Three years later Malaysians booted from government the United Malays National Organisation (umno), a party which had dominated politics since the country gained independence in 1957. Again and again, South-East Asian voters appeared to deal body blows to their political masters.
Yet the pummelling was far from fatal. In fact, South-East Asia’s autocrats now seem to be staging a comeback. Sometimes they return to power illegitimately.
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