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TAEF BRIEF
September 15th, 2023
No. 119 |
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CONTENT
-TAEF Updates
-TAEF Media Gallery
-TAEF Commentaries
-New Southbound Policy News
-Regional Headlines |
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September 1, 2023
August 9, 2023
On August 16, TAEF and IDE-JETRO, Japan, along with the National Human Rights Commission, Taiwan, held the TAEF-IDE Joint Symposium: Migrant Workers in Asia: Patterns, Issues and Policies together in Taipei. Commissioner Ms. Yu-Ling Wang was invited to give a keynote speech on migrant workers’ human rights in Taiwan. We also invited representatives of the Taiwan government, international NGOs, and non-profit brokerages and scholars from Taiwan, Japan, and the UK to examine policies and issues on transnational labor migration in Asia. We hope that by analyzing and exploring several cases of migrant workers from the perspective of the New Southbound Policy, we can identify problems on policies of labor migration in Asia and propose improvements to migrant workers’ living and working conditions.
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2023 Asia Disaster Prevention Forum｜Building Disaster Resilience through Civil Preparedness under Uncertainty
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In late April, TAEF co-organized the 2023 Asia Disaster Prevention Forum, with a focus on civil preparedness and resilience against possible large-scale disasters.
Local and international experts offered diverse insights into civil disaster prevention. TAEF Chairman Dr. Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao emphasized that “technology, good governance, and a vibrant social network” are essential for building disaster resilience. On technology, Dr. Naoshi Hirata from the University of Tokyo shared the Japanese experience of using smart applications in crisis management. On governance, Twekiat Janprajak, the Executive Director of Thailand Trade and Economic Office, shared that Thailand has developed the "Bangkok Principles", a cross-disciplinary and integrated management approach to strengthen risk control in times of crises. On social networking, Huan-Chang Hsiao, Director-General of the National Fire Agency, highlighted Taiwan’s efforts in regular exchanges with international fire and disaster control forces and the importance of regional cooperation during crisis situations. You may watch the playback for more insightful and in-depth discussions at the forum.
With the international landscape changing rapidly, alongside eminent risks in climate and disasters, we must stay proactive to reduce the vulnerability and enhance the resilience of our society.
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Firstpost
ASEAN’s growing preference for India over China
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September 7, 2023
China’s cartographic aggression and its reluctance to address the differences may have the unintended consequence of diminishing its influence within the ASEAN region.
- Dr. Sana Hashmi, Postdoctoral Fellow, Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation
This week marks a significant diplomatic milestone for India as it prepares to welcome a number of world leaders and heads of several international organisations for the upcoming G20 summit in New Delhi. Amid this high-profile diplomatic gathering, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Jakarta in person, underscoring India’s unwavering commitment to the ASEAN. In contrast, Chinese President Xi Jinping will be notably absent from both the EAS and the G20 summit. While China has predominantly been represented by its Premier at the EAS, it is unusual for the Chinese President to be absent from the G20 summit.
No specific reason has been provided for this decision, but it suggests that engagement with the ASEAN and the G20 is of lower priority on Xi’s diplomatic agenda right now. With both India and Southeast Asia, it appears that China’s emphasis is more on escalating tensions rather than actively seeking solutions to the underlying problems.
Hashmi points out that China’s cartographic aggression and its reluctance to address the differences may have the unintended consequence of diminishing its influence within the ASEAN region. China’s unwillingness to proactively address the South China Sea dispute within the ASEAN framework underlines the ongoing necessity for the bloc to unite and present a cohesive stance towards China, an objective that has seen limited progress thus far.
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NEW SOUTHBOUND POLICY NEWS |
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CNA News
Taiwanese businesses in NSP countries see large revenue growth
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September 5, 2023
According to a report by Taiwanese credit information company CRIF, the revenue of the top 1,000 Taiwanese-owned companies operating in New Southbound Policy (NSP) countries increased significantly, growing from NT$3.58 trillion in 2017 to NT$8.4 trillion in 2021, marking a 134.6% increase in five years.
Meanwhile, the revenue of the top 1,000 Taiwanese companies in China decreased from NT$21.4 trillion to NT$17.4 trillion during the same period. Despite still earning more in absolute terms in China, the growth rate of these companies in NSP countries has outpaced those in China.
The net income growth of these Taiwanese companies in NSP countries rose by 418% between 2017 and 2021. The New Southbound Policy encourages Taiwanese firms to invest in Southeast Asia, South Asia, New Zealand, and Australia to diversify their investments away from China. The government figures also support the growth in investments in NSP countries.
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Taiwan News
Thailand approves 20 projects by Taiwan electronics firms
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September 7, 2023
Thailand has granted approval to 20 investment projects from Taiwanese electronics companies, with a combined value of 30 billion baht (approximately NT$26.98 billion or US$842.66 million). These companies, including producers of printed circuit boards (PCBs), are seeking Thailand as a manufacturing hub for exports.
The move is motivated by a desire to reduce dependence on China, lower operating costs compared to the United States and the European Union, and to take advantage of Thailand's incentives for foreign investments. Additionally, some Taiwanese firms plan to manufacture notebook computers for Hewlett-Packard in Thailand. Thailand aims to become a major PCB hub in Southeast Asia through collaboration with Taiwanese, Japanese, and Chinese companies as part of Taiwan's New Southbound Policy.
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CNA News
Free Mandarin classes offered as part of drive to retain skilled foreign workers
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September 13, 2023
The Taipei Department of Labor is offering a free Mandarin course to Filipino and Indonesian migrant workers in the city, aimed at helping them integrate into Taiwanese society and improve their job prospects. The program, now in its second year, is part of a broader effort to address a labor shortage in Taiwan. Foreign workers who have lived in Taiwan for six years or more and have passed a skills test can be reclassified as "intermediate skilled foreign workers," allowing them to earn higher wages.
Migrant live-in caregivers, in particular, can attend these Mandarin courses and caregiving training, enabling them to bypass language proficiency tests and qualify for higher-paying positions. This initiative aligns with Taiwan's recognition of the need for foreign labor and its commitment to provide opportunities for personal and professional development for migrant workers.
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GMA Integrated News
Taiwan eyes visa extension, shopping incentives to attract Filipino tourists
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September 12, 2023
The Taiwan Tourism Board is considering extending the 14-day visa-free entry for Filipino tourists until 2025, eliminating the need for a visa to visit Taiwan. Taiwan is a popular destination for foreign tourists, including Filipinos, and the Tourism Board aims to attract around six million foreign visitors by the end of 2023, with a specific target of 225,000 Filipino tourists.
Emily Huang, Deputy Director of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, expressed the importance of welcoming Philippine visitors to Taiwan. To further incentivize Filipino tourists, the Tourism Board plans to conduct a raffle, offering shopping vouchers worth 5,000 New Taiwan Dollars (approximately P9,000.00) to lucky travelers. Interested individuals can register on the Lucky Land website seven days before their trip, and winners will be selected through a daily raffle upon arrival in Taiwan. This initiative aims to enhance the appeal of Taiwan as a tourist destination for Filipinos.
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Reuters
Australia Toughens Ban on Training 'Certain Foreign Militaries' after Pilot Case
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September 14, 2023
Australia will toughen laws stopping former defence staff from training "certain foreign militaries", introducing a penalty of 20 years prison and widening the ban to stop any Australians offering military training to countries seen as a national security risk.
A series of cases where former military pilots living in Australia had worked for a South African flight school training Chinese pilots, which the United States alleges are Chinese military pilots, has prompted the crackdown.
Australia's "Five Eyes" intelligence partners of Britain, United States, New Zealand and Canada will be exempt from the new law, officials said. Exemptions will also be provided if the defence minister authorises the training, or it relates to humanitarian relief or United Nations duties.
Under the new law, working for companies where a foreign government holds 50% of shares or the directors are expected to act in accordance with the wishes of the foreign government is also banned.
Read more
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CNN
What’s in A Name? India’s Modi Sits Behind ‘Bharat’ Placard at G20 Summit
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September 9
, 2023
When Indian prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the G20 leaders’ summit on Saturday, he sat behind a country name placard that didn’t say “India,” the name that his country is customarily known by internationally. Instead it read “Bharat,” the Sansrkit or Hindi title of the country, fueling speculation that his government plans to phase out the country’s English designation altogether.
The G20 summit is a first for India as Modi aims to raise New Delhi’s global clout following nearly a decade-long tenure in power in which he has positioned himself as a leader intent on shedding the country’s colonial past. Efforts include changing the names of roads and buildings that honor India’s Muslim identity, as well as its erstwhile Islamic leaders, the Mughals, to instead celebrate the country’s Hindu majority.
Both India and Bharat are used officially in the nation of 1.4 billion people, which has more than 20 official languages. But the use of “Bharat” on the G20 invites has raised eyebrows among opposition leaders.
“I hope the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with ‘India’, which has incalculable brand value built up over centuries,” said Shashi Tharoor, a former diplomat and prominent lawmaker from the main opposition Congress party.
Read more
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ABC News
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet Visits Country's Close Ally China on His 1st Official Trip Abroad
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September 14, 2023
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet arrived in Beijing on Thursday on his first official trip abroad since taking office last month. The visit demonstrates his country's warm relations with China, Cambodia's closest political and economic ally.
Hun Manet was expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials in the capital and to attend a weekend trade and investment expo in southern China. The two leaders would discuss tightening the nations' ties with the building of a “Cambodia-China Community,” strategic directions for their bilateral relations, and regional and international matters.
Cambodia is a key Chinese diplomatic partner and supporter in regional and international forums. It helps dampen criticism of Beijing within the ASEAN, several of whose members are engaged in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.
Cambodia’s close relations with Beijing were cultivated by Hun Manet’s father, Hun Sen, who stepped down last month as prime minister after almost four decades. His Cambodia People’s Party has had a stranglehold on power, fostered by Hun Sen’s autocratic rule and adroit political maneuvers that crippled any effective opposition.
Hun Manet, Hun Sen’s eldest son, had been army commander before succeeding his father. He was educated at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, but is widely expected to maintain arms-length relations with Washington.
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