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TAEF BRIEF
March 3, 2023
No. 105 |
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CONTENT
-TAEF Updates
-TAEF Media Gallery
-TAEF Commentaries
-New Southbound Policy News
-Regional Headlines |
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Think Tanks and Universities Delegation from Europe Visits TAEF |
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February 23, 2023
On February 23, TAEF had the pleasure to host a delegation of scholars and experts from European think tanks and universities. They were
- Dan O’Brien, Chief Economist, Institute of International and European Affairs
- Alice Billon-Galland, Research Fellow, Chatham House
- Alexander Dukalskis, Associate Professor, School of Politics and International Relations, University College Dublin
- Sam Dunning, Freelance Researcher and Journalist; Former Visiting Associate Fellow, Henry Jackson Society
- Thomas Malta-Kira, Director, Cambridge Programming
- Donnacha Ó Beacháin, Professor, School of Law and Government, Dublin City University (DCU)
- Marcus Storm, Chair, Defence and Security Policy Group, Fabian Society
Both parties had a fruitful discussion about Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy (NSP) and what to expect from the regional engagement going forward, particularly in terms of enhancing the NSP's role as Taiwan's primary instrument for building people-to-people ties abroad.
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NSP Resilient Talent Project: Interview with Lily Yang |
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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 how Lily Yang, a Burmese who came to live in Taiwan while very young, has been promoting the Burmese cultural exchange in Taiwan. TAEF is excited to share the full interview with Lily Yang, available now on our YouTube channel.
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Taipei Times
India Investing in Taiwan Relations
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February 25, 2023
-Dr. Sana Hashmi, Postdoctoral Fellow, Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation
In an article for the Taipei times, Dr. Sana Hashmi analyzed how India’s relations with Taiwan have slowly but steadily improved since 2020, with India seeing Taiwan as an equal and valuable economic partner rather than a geopolitical pawn. The Modi administration was always expected to have a proactive stance towards Taiwan given his efforts at engagement while he was chief minister of Gujarat. This trend accelerated after 2020 with the new Indo-Pacific construct, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and China’s aggression in the Galwan border clashes.
Before 2020, India aimed to engage with China in many aspects while achieving a breakthrough on the border disputes. However, with China’s increased aggression India also shifted towards engaging more with Taiwan. The Modi government sees Taiwan as useful in advancing its goals of turning India into a manufacturing hub and of strategic autonomy by reducing supply chain dependence on China.
Modi administration policies like the Act East Policy, Digital India and Self-Reliant India initiatives also align well with the Democratic Progressive Party’s New Southbound Policy, which India is a key part of. As both sides work to develop an alternative Asian supply chain less dependent on China, their similarities as democracies and mutual theat perception from China will likely contribute to a deepening of cooperation.
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Nikkei Asia
Taiwan Displays Growing Clout with Top Diplomat’s U.S. Visit
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February 23, 2023
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Dr. Sana Hashmi, Postdoctoral Fellow, Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation
Dr. Sana Hashmi commented for an article on the first publicized visit of a Taiwanese foreign minister to the U.S. capital since 1979 when the U.S. decided to give Beijing diplomatic recognition rather than Taipei. Senior Taiwanese officials including Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, National Security Council chief Wellington Koo and the top envoy to the U.S. Hsiao Bi-kim, among others, met with senior U.S. officials such as the deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman and State Department top diplomat for East Asia Daniel Kritenbrink.
Dr. Hashmi commented on the widespread attention paid to this visit by the U.S. media compared to previous visits by Taiwanese officials, arguing that this indicates the growing international profile of Taiwan. She argues that as Sino-American relations have deteriorated, Taiwan’s role in the conflict has grown ever more important.
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NEW SOUTHBOUND POLICY NEWS |
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Taipei Times
New Zealand, Nordic Groups to Boost Culture, Economic Ties
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February 25, 2023
Democratic Progressive Party leader Michelle Lin launched two parliamentary associations meant to facilitate exchanges with lawmakers abroad in New Zealand and in the Nordic countries Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The Taiwan-New Zealand Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association and the Taiwan-Four Nordic Countries Parliamentary Friendship Association are intended to boost parliamentary diplomacy and improve these countries’ understanding of Taiwan.
These Associations will create opportunities for exchange and cooperation in areas such as foreign affairs, economic matters, trade, culture, education, and overseas Taiwanese. New Zealand and Taiwan, like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific, can build on the 2013 free trade agreement that boosted their economic ties. Sweden and Finland have both sent delegations to Taiwan in the last two years, and the Nordic countries and Taiwan’s shared values of democracy, human rights and rule of law will lead to fruitful exchanges and bolster their ties.
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CNBC
Canada Trade Minister Says Trade Talks with Taiwan are Part of a Larger Indo-Pacific Strategy
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February 21, 2023
Mary Ng, Canada’s Minister of International Trade, said that it is launching formal bilateral trade talks with Taiwan in order to strengthen trade and investment as part of its broader Indo-Pacific strategy. The negotiations on the Foreign Investment Protection Arrangement are part of Canada’s push to diversify into the Indo-Pacific region, which is a fast-growing region which Canada already has strong trade links with.
Canada and Taiwan are important trade partners for each other, and both sides are seeking more resilient supply chains and support for the rules-based international economic and trade order. In addition, Canada has ongoing trade talks with ASEAN on trade cooperation in various areas. As China has become increasingly disruptive in Canada’s eyes but also global, Canada seeks both to engage with China on areas such as climate change but will also stand firm on issues such as human rights and the rule of law.
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Taiwan Today
Taiwan Inks LOI for Asia Archipelago Cruise Alliance with South Korea, Philippines
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February 18, 2023
On February 17th, Taiwan, South Korea, and the Philippines signed a letter of intent signaling the formation of the Asia Archipelago Alliance in order to boost regional marine tourism by attracting international cruise lines. The Alliance will be launched by 2023 and will integrate marketing and resources among member countries, with Japan a potential future member.
The Alliance intends to boost cruise and marine tourism by promoting island-hopping cruises and attracting international cruise lines. Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications said that it aimed to boost Taiwan’s tourism sector, taking full advantage of Taiwan’s prime position connecting East Asia and Southeast Asia.
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The Wall Street Journal
As India Shakes Off Shackles, It Emerges as a Global Economic Power
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February 23, 2023
India was long viewed as squandering its large and entrepreneurial population due to its poor infrastructure and its over-regulated business environment. However, in 2023 India is expected to have solid economic growth bolstered by macroeconomic reform and a renewed Western interest due to a tense geopolitical environment. It has seen numerous US officials visit, is expected to surpass China’s population, and last year became the world’s fifth largest economy.
India’s current growth is thanks to reforms focused on reinforcing the supply side economy and improving national infrastructure. Transportation infrastructure as well as water and electricity access have all been substantially improved. In addition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has improved the business environment and digitized public services. Although tariffs have increased, the administration has also pursued trade deals with multiple countries.
The impact of this economic growth has been hidden somewhat by the need for India to deleverage the bad debts of its banks and geopolitical instability. In addition, future growth will be constrained by the setbacks to education due to the pandemic, high inflation and the budget deficit. The business environment remains restricted and dominated by large conglomerates, while Modi’s administration has faced loud criticism for its targeting of critics. While a fear-driven environment could drive away investors, the West continues to see India as a vital geopolitical partner in the face of heated tensions.
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The Economist
The Philippines' Proximity to Taiwan Makes it Central to Western Strategy
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February 21, 2023
As great-power competition raises tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, the West has renewed its focus on the Philippines as a vital strategic access point to Taiwan and a valuable U.S. ally. The successor of the pro-China Rodrigo Duterte, President Ferdinand “BongBong” Marcos, has given the U.S. access to four more military bases and bringing the total to nine. This is part of the U.S.’s broader push to expand cooperation in the region by investing in allies like Japan and restarting its joint patrols with allies in the South China Sea.
This security cooperation comes as China has ramped up its aggressive tactics in the South China Sea, especially with its recent expansion of drills around Taiwan. The Philippines, in turn, is well aware that it would likely be pulled into a war over Taiwan and thus wants to secure an effective deterrent against Chinese aggression. The U.S. has pushed to improve military bases in the Philippines and has provided military funding. The Philippines has also discussed military and maritime cooperation with nations such as Australia, Britain, France, and Germany.
Both the U.S. and the Philippines are well aware that in the case of a Sino-American war over Taiwan, the Philippines would be playing a logistical-support role that could invite a Chinese attack. The Philippines has maintained some restrictions on any American military presence in the Philippines and is still reliant on Chinese investments in the country. But given the recent Chinese aggression, there are also concerns about Chinese investments in infrastructure, especially in areas facing Taiwan.
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Nikkei Asia
What Makes South Koreans so Eager for Nuclear Deterrent?
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February 19
, 2023
In the face of numerous recent nuclear tests by North Korea, 70% of South Koreans are in support of the deployment of nuclear arms in their country. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has also called for an “effective and powerful system of extended deterrence” against the North Korean nuclear threat. These facts all indicate that a majority of South Koreans doubt the feasibility of the Korean peninsula denuclearizing in the near future.
This trend comes from a number of factors, the largest being North Korea’s continued intransigence, with North Korea lately hinting about its use of tactical nuclear arms. Many South Koreans thus believe that it is impossible to persuade North Korea to disarm and are concerned about North Korea’s intentions, leading them to believe that it woud be better for South Korea to have its own nuclear weapons as a deterrent rather than rely on the U.S.’s nuclear umbrella. This tendency to prefer self-reliance in defense comes from South Korea’s history of foreign occupation and doubt that the U.S. is willing to risk its own national security in order to defend South Korea.
The U.S. has thus far opposed President Yoon’s calls for South Korea to be included in the operation of U.S. nuclear forces and his warnings that South Korea may seek its own nuclear deterrent if North Korea continues its provocations. However, Yoon understands that actually doing so would likely risk South Korea’s military alliance with the U.S., and the U.S. has avoided harshly criticizing him. Both sides are clear-eyed about the impact that this debate has had on both China and North Korea, both of which are wary of any nuclear proliferation in the region.
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