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TAEF BRIEF
February 17, 2023
No. 104 |
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CONTENT
-TAEF Updates
-TAEF Media Gallery
-TAEF Commentaries
-New Southbound Policy News
-Regional Headlines |
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TAEF Welcomes the Visit of Asia Freedom Institute's President |
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February 9, 2023
On February 9, Chairman Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao of TAEF welcomed the visit of President Kelsang Dorjee Aukatsang of Asia Freedom Institute (AFI). Mr. Aukatsang is also a senior non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub. AFI is a think-action tank that promotes democracy, human rights, and religious freedom. On this trip to Taiwan, Mr. Aukatsang hopes to further collaborate with the local NGOs here.
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Full Sessions of the 2022 Inaugural Taiwan-India Dialogue Are Now Available |
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Jointly organized by Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) and Observer Research Foundation (ORF), the first Inaugural Taiwan-India Dialogue took place on October 8, 2022 right after the Yushan Forum, bringing together a panel of leading experts to explore avenues for deepening Taiwan-India ties. TAEF and ORF entered into a three-year partnership by signing an MoU in May this year. An important initiative agreed upon in the MoU is the organization of an annual dialogue that will take place alternatively between Taiwan and India.
The dialogue comprised three sessions, examining (1) the roles of Taiwan and India in safeguarding stability and security in the Indo-Pacific; (2) bilateral economic and technology ties in promoting regional prosperity and growth, and (3) prospects of Taiwan-India partnership. The 2022 Taiwan-India showcased thoughtful dialogue among the experts throughout. TAEF is excited to share with you the full 2022 Taiwan-India Dialogue, available now on our YouTube channel.
Check out the full dialogue here
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Indo Pacific Voices
Exploring the India-Taiwan Dynamic within the Indo-Pacific
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February 10, 2023
-Dr. Sana Hashmi, Postdoctoral Fellow, Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation
In an interview for the Indo Pacific Circle on its podcast Indo Pacific Voices, Dr. Sana Hashmi described how Indian-Taiwanese policies have changed in the past decade and how it could evolve in the future. Dr. Hashmi asserts that India sees Taiwan as a valuable economic partner rather than a card to use against China and wants to engage with it within the existing parameters of their relationship.
Dr. Hashmi describes how after both 2017 and 2020, incidents of Chinese aggression towards India have encouraged India to see Taiwan differently. As India and Taiwan have both turned away from China and towards Southeast Asia, Dr. Hashmi sees potential for the two countries to synergize their policies of engagement. She points to how populations in both countries are increasingly aware of the other and engage both in business and on social media.
Looking to the future, Dr. Hashmi analyzes that India remains cautious in its approach towards Taiwan but recognizes it as a like-minded country in the Indo-Pacific. She suggests that India could become more open in its interactions with Taiwan, including in multilateral institutions like the G20 or the Quad. Seeing China’s continued aggression in the border disputes, India sees Taiwan as a way to diversify away from China and engage more with the rest of the Indo-Pacific.
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TaiwanPlus
In Focus: Taiwan Develops Ties with World's Next Most Populous Nation
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February 7, 2023
-Dr. Alan Hao Yang, Executive Director, Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation
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Dr. Sana Hashmi, Postdoctoral Fellow, Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation
TaiwanPlus interviewed Dr. Sana Hashmi on the increasing economic ties between India and Taiwan in the face of Chinese aggression towards both parties, as well as Dr. Alan Hao Yang on the efforts of Taiwan to invest more in South and Southeast Asia through President Tsai Ying-wen’s New Southbound Policy.
Dr. Hashmi described how India and Taiwan have multiple commonalities, including in terms of innovative economies and border disputes with China. India’s growing population and IT talent make it an attractive investment destination for Taiwanese businesses, while India welcomes Taiwanese investment as a way to diversify away from and reduce its reliance on China. Dr. Hashmi outlined different areas of potential collaboration between India and Taiwan, including semiconductors and the EV industry, that could take advantage of Taiwanese innovation and India’s IT labor force. Most importantly, India treats Taiwan not as a card to use against China but rather as an economic partner and a potential future ally.
In addition, Dr. Alan Hao Yang discussed how the Taiwanese government and businesses are looking towards Southeast Asia as another region to build up cooperation and collaboration. Dr. Yang described how Taiwan has taken an innovative, multifaceted approach to creating social connections and trade infrastructure with countries like Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. Taiwan is an important hub in the global supply chain and, Dr. Yang argues, a strategic alternative to the increasingly aggressive China.
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NEW SOUTHBOUND POLICY NEWS |
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Taiwan News
Philippines Will Likely Be Pulled Into Taiwan Strait Conflict, President Marcos Says
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February 13, 2023
The Philippines will likely be drawn into a Taiwan Strait conflict, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in an interview with Nikkei on February 12.
"When we look at the situation in the area, especially the tensions in the Taiwan Strait, we can see that just by our geographical location, should there, in fact, be conflict in that area ... it's very hard to imagine a scenario where the Philippines will not somehow get involved," Nikkei quoted him as saying.
If a conflict broke out, his priority would be the well-being of the 150,000 Filipinos in Taiwan, the president said. He emphasized that the Philippines is committed to peace and protecting its national interests.
Marcos also stressed that differences should be solved through diplomacy instead of with force. "I sincerely believe that nobody wants to go to war... But we have continued to advise and to counsel all the parties involved to show restraint," he said.
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Axios
All Roads Lead to Taipei
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February 10, 2023
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Taipei has received a stream of foreign delegations in an indication of its increasing significance to democracies around the world. These visits appear to be both an effort to learn from Taiwan's governance and a broader outreach toward the Asia-Pacific.
These visits come at a time when the clash between democracy and authoritarianism seems ever sharper, given the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Europe's increasing perception of China as a security threat. Many of these countries are also seeking to broaden their engagement with the Indo-Pacific beyond China.
The foreign delegations have been more focused on learning from Taiwan's experience especially given its successful management of the pandemic and are more likely to be executive-level exchanges compared to before. Taiwanese officials have also received more invitations to visit foreign countries.
There are also more invitations from foreign governments for Taiwanese officials to visit, said Alan Hao Yang, executive director of the TAEF. Yang highlighted delegations to Taipei from Indonesia and India, as well as multiple invitations from officials in Japan.
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The Diplomat
India Ups Its Game in the Middle East
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February 15, 2023
India’s response to the recent devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria reflects its policy of robust engagement in the Middle East. It follows a visit by Egyptian President Abdel Fateh el-Sisi to India, and an expansion of ties with Israel and Arab countries in the Gulf. Coupled with long-standing connections to Iran, India’s overtures to Turkey, Israel, and the Arab states position India as a potentially significant actor in the Middle East at a time when the United States appears to be downsizing its position in the region.
India has, since independence, engaged actively with the Middle East. The quality of that engagement has changed in recent years, reflecting India’s desire to be a more assertive global power in a multipolar world. India’s quick large-scale aid for Turkey and Syria is part of its desire to be seen as the country of first response, providing disaster relief and humanitarian assistance in its wider neighborhood.
But the latest emergency response – which includes an entire field hospital and medical team along with machines, medicines, and hospital beds — is strategic, not just humanitarian. It is part of several actions enhancing India’s profile across the Middle East.
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Nikkei Asia
Vietnam At Center of Japan's ASEAN Supply Chain Shift: Survey
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February 14
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Vietnam's increasingly vital role in supply chains is bringing greater electronics investment from Japan as well as more awareness of human rights issues, according to the Japan External Trade Organization.
Manufacturers have invested in advanced devices and other sectors in Vietnam due in part to Japanese government subsidies to exit China and also to diversify production across Southeast Asia, said Matsumoto Nobuyuki, JETRO's chief representative, in an interview with Nikkei Asia.
For the first time, JETRO's annual poll asked if companies are cutting emissions, finding that just 29% in Vietnam said yes -- rock bottom among the 18 countries covered. On the other hand, human rights are gaining prominence, with 65.4% of respondents in Vietnam saying this is an important factor in supply chains, a 16.6-percentage point jump from 2021 to 2022.
But a corruption crackdown, red tape, shortages of skills and parts, and a COVID shutdown have weighed on the business environment, Matsumoto said. And social issues such as climate change are adding to the complexity of doing business.
Read more
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The Wall Street Journal
U.S.'s Asia Allies See New Threat From Balloons Amid China Spying Row
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February 1, 2023
The high-altitude balloons spotted above the U.S. in recent weeks has sparked concerns among America's allies in Asia about previously uncontested foreign balloon sightings in the region.
Previously, governments in the region tended to treat these balloons of undeclared origin as reconnaissance efforts by China rather than as a security threat. However, given the U.S.'s accusation of Beijing using these balloons as part of a serious global intelligence gathering mission, many American allies say they are increasing their level of concern.
Beijing insists that the balloon shot down by the US was a civilian meteorological research device, that the U.S. shooting down said balloon was a purely political act, and that the U.S. had also sent balloons into China's airspace since last year. The Foreign Ministry added that American allies should also refrain from taking similar actions.
Governments do not always have a clear course of action in response to mysterious balloon incursions. It is unclear whether such incursions are a national seurity threat and whether any act against the balloons could trigger an escalation by China. This is especially a concern in Taiwan, which China considers a part of its own territory.
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