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TAEF BRIEF
March 17, 2023
No. 106 |
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CONTENT
-TAEF Updates
-TAEF Media Gallery
-TAEF Commentaries
-New Southbound Policy News
-Regional Headlines |
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Professor Shigeto Sonoda from Tokyo University Presents Findings on Japanese Perspectives on Taiwan vs. China at TAEF |
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March 2, 2023
TAEF recently had the honor of hosting Professor Shigeto Sonoda of the Advanced Institute on Asian Studies at Tokyo University for a presentation on his recent research comparatively evaluating Japanese perspectives on Taiwan vs. China. The findings revealed that the Japanese public tended to feel a greater sense of intimacy, have a higher level of interest in, and have greater trust in the media of Taiwan than China, despite a majority lacking social connections to both. However, the reasons for a sense or lack thereof intimacy and interest, as well as the areas of interest, differed among genders and generations, with the greatest differences being between younger females and older males. Professor Sonoda’s research has revealed significant insights into Japanese perspectives on Taiwan and China, as well as raising important questions about how Japanese public opinion may affect the decisions made by Japanese policymakers in preparation for a Taiwan contingency.
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NSP Resilient Talent Project: Interview with Asih |
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At the end of 2022, TAEF launched the NSP Resilient Talent Project, which aims to discover the stories of New Southbound Policy movers in society, such as new immigrants, second-generation immigrants, and foreign personnel working in Taiwan. Through their sharings, we hope to better understand, from their groundwork experience, how the New Southbound Policy has opened up Taiwan's Southward exchange and the associated opportunities and challenges.
In this issue of the TAEF Brief, we invite you to hear the journey of Asih, from a migrant worker to a migrant worker's friend in need. TAEF is excited to share the full interview with Asih, available now on our YouTube channel.
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Al Jazeera
Honduras says plans to open diplomatic relations with China
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March 14, 2023
-Dr. Sana Hashmi, Postdoctoral Fellow, Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation
According to this recent article from Al Jazeera, Honduras President Xiomara Castro has said she wants her country to open official diplomatic ties with China, in a move that would end its official relationship with the self-ruled island of Taiwan.
“We have to look at things very pragmatically and seek the best benefit for the Honduran people,” Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Reina later told local television, according to the Reuters news agency.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said it had expressed serious concern to the Honduran government and urged it to consider its decision carefully and not “fall into China’s trap.”
Tsai, viewed by Beijing as a ‘separatist’, has previously accused China of ‘dollar diplomacy‘ over the issue of diplomatic recognition, which has also seen Taiwan, formally known as the Republic of China (ROC), excluded from international bodies such as the World Health Assembly and International Civil Aviation Organisation.
“When it comes to diplomatic allies, it seems Taiwan is on borrowed time,” said TAEF's postdoctoral fellow Sana Hashmi. “Since 2016, this has been China’s mission to shrink Taiwan’s international space and punish Taiwan.
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NEW SOUTHBOUND POLICY NEWS |
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Taipei Times
Tourism Bureau Beats Q1 Visitor Target
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March 13, 2023
Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau announced that the nation is expected to meet its target number of international tourists for the first quarter much earlier than scheduled. It had hoped for 820,000 international tourists in quarter one but expects to greet the 1 millionth tourist at the end of this month instead. The Bureau suggested this was thanks to the Lantern Festival and the success of its international tourism marketing campaign. The Bureau hopes to target the Japanese market, which has not recovered to its pre-COVID levels, but also points out that South Korea is so far the largest source of international tourists. The increase in visitor numbers seems partly to be due to the opening up of Taiwan last year and the increased coverage of Taiwan due to cross-strait relations. Taiwan plans to target more visitors from New Southbound Policy target countries and those from Europe and North America. Costs for Taiwanese to visit Asian destinations including Southeast Asia also seem set to fall.
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The Economist
Special Report: Frontline Formosa
It is Time to Divert Taiwan's Trade and Investment from China
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March 7, 2023
In a special report for this week’s edition, the Economist magazine argues that Taiwan must diversify away from China as the country has tried to isolate Taiwan using its economic power. The Tsai government has pushed to diversify to Southeast Asia and other regions using the New Southbound Policy rather than completely decouple from China, which is still a significant trading partner. However, China continues to exert pressure to prevent Taiwan from signing free-trade agreements with other countries and block Taiwan’s entry into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. The report suggests that a bilateral agreement with the U.S. could be a positive next step, but fear of the Chinese reaction stands in the way.
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Nikkei Asia
Taiwan's Foxconn Eyes New iPhone Factories in India
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March 4, 2023
Foxconn, a Taiwanese contract manufacturer and one of the main iPhone manufacturers, is looking to build an iPhone manufacturing plant in India in response to the increasing tensions between China and the U.S. A Foxconn delegation visited the country recently to scout possible new manufacturing sites, with Indian states such as Telangana and Karnataka suggesting Foxconn investment in those regions. This change comes after a COVID-related disruption at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant and Apple’s decision to reduce its manufacturing reliance on China. The Indian government has encouraged this focus and aims to turn the country into a global manufacturing hub, especially for electronics and semiconductors.
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ASEAN/WE STRIVE launches campaign to end gender-based workplace exploitation with 2023International Women’s Day
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March 13, 2023
ASEAN held a virtual launch of the second phase of the ASEAN/WE STRIVE Campaign to End Gender-Based Workplace Exploitation to celebrate International Women’s Day and to accelerate the implementation of ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on Elimination of Violence Against Women (ASEAN RPA on EVAW).The campaign is spearheaded by the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) in collaboration with the ASEAN Committee for Women (ACW) and the ASEAN Secretariat.
In his opening remarks, Ekkaphab Phanthavong, Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community emphasised the importance of recognising violence against women as a violation of human rights. “Guided by the ASEAN’s zero tolerance policy for violence against women, ASEAN is determined to eliminate all forms of violence against women as a matter of priority”, he stressed.
While emphasizing the high costs of sexual harassment and violence to women and the need for effective workplace response and prevention, Ms. Sarah Knibbs, Regional Director a.i. for UN Women Regional Office for Asia and Pacific said in her opening remarks: "As we talk about safe workplaces, it is not just physical workplaces but also digital spaces that should be free from harassment and violence. COVID-19 has reshaped work modalities with a dramatic increase in remote work. Within this context, ensuring the safety of women in online spaces is equally important, which is also aligned with the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day which calls for a safer, more inclusive, and more equitable digital world for all. UN Women is proud to partner with ASEAN to ending violence against women including migrant women and advancing partnerships with the private sector to promote safe and inclusive workplaces”.
Read more
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Nikkei Asia
Donor Fatigue Deepens Rohingya Crisis in Bangladesh
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March 7
, 2023
The United Nations has warned of a dangerous shortfall in aid for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, forcing cuts in provisions in food and shelter amid the growing donor fatigue. Especially after the Myanmar military’s attacks on Rohingyas in 2016 and 2017, nearly a million Rohingya have fled Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh. Conditions have steadily worsened in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camp and the island of Bhasan Char as donor funds have steadily decreased, leading to worsening humanitarian conditions.
Cox’s Bazar is facing the impact of a massive fire among numerous arson attacks, as well as the growing lawlessness putting refugees, especially women and children, at great risk. These problems have worsened the decline in standards of care. Independent experts believe that the current military regime in Myanmar means conditions are not safe enough for refugees to return either. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s government also faces an election next year, constraining its response.
However, donors have been focused on other issues including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, humanitarian problems, and natural disasters in Pakistan, Turkey and Syria. The WFP’s decision to cut food aid will likely lead to severe health consequences as well as further unrest in the camps. While Japan has pledged $1 million recently, United Nations and human rights activists are desperately calling for $125 million more in aid at minimum to solve this protracted humanitarian crisis in one of the world’s most vulnerable populations.
Read more
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Nikkei Asia
How Viable is Vietnam as a 'Friend-Shoring' Destination?
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March 5, 2023
Vietnam has been on a diplomatic spree in the past months, with Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visiting Singapore and Brunei as well as meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai in Hanoi. This blitz follows the removal of two deputy prime ministers and the dismissal of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc late last year, with all three being accused of poor supervision that enabled government corruption in the COVID-19 response. However, there are concerns that these removals are indicative of a tightening of control by the Vietnamese Communist Party and herald a shift towards China and Russia, raising doubts about its self-positioning as a friend-shoring base.
In the light of increasing tensions and uncertainties in global supply chains, Vietnam has opened its doors to investments from the West and Japan, especially with its emphasis on political neutrality and calls for free trade. However, the recent political turnover seems to be a political power struggle rather than part of any genuine anti-corruption campaign. This tactic mirrors those used by the Chinese Communist Party, suggesting that China may be strengthening its influence or that the Vietnamese Communist Party is tightening its control.
Vietnam’s one-party rule previously didn’t hinder its attractiveness as a location for companies looking to diversify away from China. However, foreign businesses may now be warier about investing in Vietnam as they foresee the Communist Party interfering in economic affairs. Western governments are increasingly uncertain about whether the Hanoi government will hold to its free trade commitments.
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