@kunal_chonkar
To hear about Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy (NSP) as part of our India-Taiwan Relations series, Kunal Chonkar (鍾可諾) reached out to Kuan-Ting Chen (陳冠廷) – the Chief Executive Officer of the country’s fastest rising think-tank, the Taiwan NextGen Foundation – who has been at the vanguard of initiatives strengthening Taiwan’s international standing, while advocating its foreign policy as a tool of promoting sustainable and equitable development at the subnational level. Having fallen in love with India and Dhokla, he exhorts effective leveraging of the NSP and India’s Act East Policy to deepen cooperation in talent cultivation and regional economic development. We hear all about it below…
Excerpts of the interview:
1. What made you change sides – from the role of the Deputy Spokesperson of the Taipei City Government to becoming the Chief Executive Officer of the Taiwan NextGen Foundation?
Mr.Chen: My time at the Taipei City Government (TCG) has been wonderfully fulfilling. Before joining the Mayor’s Office, I served at the National Security Council. The transition from the Central Government to TCG allowed me to gain a more practical understanding of subnational politics in Taiwan. Given my academic background in International Studies, I have long questioned the dogma of conducting political studies at solely the national level – we need to appreciate the nuance. I remain deeply appreciative for this opportunity to grow personally and professionally. At the same time, I have long sought to pursue a more holistic approach to furthering Taiwan’s international standing. While TCG is doing a terrific job of amplifying Taipei’s voice internationally, it is still limited by Taiwan’s precarious position on the global stage. As a leader of a think tank, I benefit from greater flexibility in crafting my agenda. That being said, my experience gained at the TCG undoubtedly informs my work at NextGen.
2. How difficult or easy has been this change – becoming the influencer, from being influenced?
Mr.Chen: “He who cannot be a good follower, cannot be a good leader” and in turn, “He who does not allow himself to be influenced, cannot be a good influencer.” As a leader of a think tank, I am tremendously privileged to be surrounded by wildly smart, creative, and curious people from an array of diverse backgrounds. The Taiwan NextGen Foundation office truly resembles a hive, as it is a place of innovative thinking, stimulating debates, and swift action. So while I bear responsibility for curating actionable ideas for our government, I want to underscore how important it is for me to remain open to new stimuli.
3. Could you highlight the work being done by Taiwan NextGen Foundation towards domestic policy issues in Taiwan – including the ones concerning identity politics, public pension reform, labor reform, and economic hurdles?
Mr.Chen: At the Taiwan NextGen Foundation, it is our mission to transform Taiwan into a more sustainable, diverse, and inclusive place. One of the ways to translate our mission into reality is to identify links between foreign policy and domestic policy objectives. Through my research, I came to understand that there is a high level of complementarity between the domestic 5+2 Innovative Industries Plan and the New Southbound Policy, the current administrations’ flagship foreign policy strategy. For example, both policy frameworks emphasize the importance of promoting Agriculture 4.0 – or digital innovation in agriculture focused on the use of IoT and Big Data. Nevertheless, due to insufficient horizontal coordination within the executive, the implementation of the two strategies is not very effective. Through our research and advocacy work, we actively encourage the Taiwanese authorities to act locally as they think globally. I would also like to underscore that the Taiwan NextGen Foundation remains committed to promoting a more equitable distribution of resources across the national territory. As I devise ways to effectively marry domestic and foreign policy, I keep asking myself – how will it benefit people outside of Greater Taipei? Our think tank has its second home in Chiayi, Taiwan’s breadbasket, which also stimulates us to consider Taiwan’s foreign policy as a tool of promoting sustainable and equitable development at the subnational level.
4. Taiwan is muscling to diversify its international engagement through the New Southbound Policy (NSP). How can the NSP, craft a new narrative for Taiwan which sees it not just as a part of Southeast Asia but as much as of the Greater China area as well?
Mr.Chen: Greater China is a highly controversial concept. Rightfully contested by numerous Taiwan scholars, the idea of “Greater China” is frequently used to excuse the refusal to treat Taiwan as a sovereign entity with a strong sense of its distinct identity. As a multi-ethnic democracy and a migrant-receiving society, Taiwan is now amidst a soul-seeking project aimed at reevaluating its relations with the entire Indo-Pacific Region, rather than merely other hubs of Sinic culture(s). It is thus natural that this endeavor has been institutionalized in the form of the New Southbound Policy. In terms of crafting the narrative, I believe that the NSP can constitute the core tool of scaling up the #TaiwanCanHelp mindset beyond medical diplomacy and sustaining its momentum also after the COVID-19 pandemic. World leaders, who have now experienced first-hand that Taiwan can indeed help, have an unequaled opportunity to elevate the status of this small but mighty nation. At the same time, through its NSP, Taiwan can contribute to the developmental goals of its regional partners in areas such as agriculture, technical training, and green infrastructure. Amidst the great power competition, it is important for Taiwan to showcase its commitment to genuine win-win cooperation in diverse sectors, and the NSP is the stepping stone to doing so.
5. Where does India configure in the NSP? And can there be a converge of Taipei’s NSP with the Act East Policy of New Delhi?
Mr.Chen: I recognize that Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to use the “Act East Policy” as a tool of not only economic exchanges, but also connectivity. The trinity of connectivity, culture, and commerce also constitutes the core of the NSP. As a leader of a think-tank with a strong focus on education policy, I naturally come to think that connectivity in education should be regarded as one key area of convergence between the two policies. Employing a two-way, diversified, and win-win approach, Taipei seeks to enhance the interflow of talented people between Taiwan and NSP countries. And PM Modi has also explicitly stated education would become the new medium of engagement with the countries included under the Act East Policy. Even though Taiwan is already home to many Indian students and scholars, few Taiwanese consider India as a study abroad destination, and I look at it as a great loss given the plethora of world-class institutions and other academic resources in India. People are our greatest resource, and by deepening two-way social and cultural links, we will effectively create a solid bedrock for cooperation in other areas. We can effectively leverage the two policies to deepen cooperation in talent cultivation and regional economic development.
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6. Requesting you to share your two cents on the current status quo of India-Taiwan relations?
Mr.Chen: Observing Taiwan-Indian relations is extremely exciting, as the ties between the two countries are now fuelled by an unprecedented curiosity about one another. In particular, I am very pleased to witness a new dynamic in semi-official ties between Taipei and New Delhi. In October, Legislator Wu Yu-chin (吳玉琴) – who also happens to sit on the Board of Advisors of Taiwan NextGen Foundation – was named the new chairperson of the Taiwan-India Parliamentary Friendship Association, and vowed to further enhance parliamentary diplomacy with India. As fellow multiethnic democracies in Asia, Taiwan and India ought to harness the full potential of their normative power by engaging in constructive dialogue and projecting their shared commitment towards the rule of law and good governance. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of room for growth. Curiosity is a good starting point, but we need to strengthen our true understanding of each other. I believe that there is more that we can do in terms of people-to-people exchanges. There is a lot of untapped potential in areas including tourism, academic exchanges, civil society dialogue, and media interaction. Before advancing to high-level exchanges, our people need to first better understand and trust each other.
7. Do you see the relations between the two nations rising above the “card play” in reference to and context of PRC?
Mr.Chen: First and foremost, we need to work diligently to ensure that the Indian public understands that Taiwan is not the PRC. Strengthening people-to-people exchanges could most effectively bolster Taiwan’s image. I believe that this is exactly where we need to start. As we have seen before October 10 – National Day, the Chinese authorities spared no effort to undermine Taiwan and even resort to sheer intimidation to prevent press outlets from covering Taiwan-related news. Consequently, we need our people to interact with each other to amplify the Taiwan story. Further on this note, I am of the opinion that stakeholders in Taiwan and India should focus on building a stronger foundation for exchanges in two fields, education and tourism. Even though these two areas may seem to be quite different, they are means to the same goal: to raise awareness about Taiwan and our countries’ shared values. Education exchanges are not only a tool for human resources development. In fact, establishing a “Taiwan-India Connection” based on bilateral educational cooperation can translate into stronger business ties in the future. By living and learning overseas, talented scholars and professionals hone their intercultural skills. In terms of tourism, leisure visits to Taiwan would provide Indians with an opportunity to learn about and appreciate our values and culture. In turn, I am convinced Taiwanese tourists traveling to India would bring back with them a more nuanced view of diverse India. Indeed, the understanding of the nuance is crucial to strengthening Taiwan-India ties outside of the umbrella of Sino-Indian relations. Although we are currently held back by the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot lose the newly-gained momentum in our relations and need to capitalise on this unprecedented curiosity about Taiwan in India, and about India in Taiwan.
8. What role can think-tanks like Taiwan NextGen Foundation play in strengthening the ties between India and Taiwan?
Mr.Chen: One word – catalyze! Think tanks are genuinely unique institutions, serving as bridges between the government, academia, and the private sector. As the leader of NextGen, I have to wear many hats and constantly practice my ability to consider a single issue from multiple perspectives. For example, the aforementioned issue of digitization in agriculture presents very different opportunities and challenges to stakeholders in the three sectors. It is our job as a think tank to understand these diverse perspectives and synthesize them in our reports and public programming. Hence the concept of “catalysis” – as a think tank, we can create a space for key players representing various sectors in both, Taiwan and India, and facilitate the exchange of actionable ideas. This unique flair of think tanks – such as the Taiwan NextGen Foundation – is particularly noteworthy in the context of Taiwan. New York Times’ Chris Horton aptly captured our predicament by saying that “Taiwan’s Status Is a Geopolitical Absurdity.” Oftentimes, policy planning dialogues or information sharing at even the mid-official level come to a standstill due to political considerations. Think tanks can, and indeed should create spaces that enable an active, bilateral exchange of ideas without the threat of political controversy.
9. You have been to India, please share your experience of the trip and any unforgettable memory of the visit.
Mr.Chen: Allow me to begin by saying that when India uses the designation “incredible” to describe itself, it truly delivers! In particular, I have been mesmerized by the incredible diversity of India. Even though in Taiwan a lot of people regard India as a monolith, I came to understand that it is, in fact, a beautiful mosaic. I spent most of my time engaged in trade talks with my partners in Vadodara, Gujarat, but I also had the pleasure of traveling for a few stays after my official business ended. As I watched the sunset through the train window on my way to Agra, I made a commitment to stay engaged with India – a land of unexplored allure. And, to be frank, the food was of course one of the highlights of my stay in India. I was able to indulge in a variety of Gujarati snacks – channa dal dhokla was, hands down, my favorite. Gujarati dishes seem to include generous amounts of sugar, which is also a feature of dishes in southern Taiwan where I come from.
10. Where do you see yourself and Taiwan in the next three years?
Mr.Chen: When I look into the future, I see strength. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a tremendous tragedy as it uprooted the lives of countless individuals. Yet, as we say in Mandarin – each crisis is also a turning point (危機就是轉機). I strongly believe that our successful strategy in combating COVID-19 as well as the well-coordinated medical diplomacy strategy will strengthen Taiwan’s international standing. Once we combat the pandemic, I am sure that Taiwan’s foreign relations will enter a new era, marked by intensified dialogue and exchanges at the mid-official level. Professionally, I hope that this new momentum will also facilitate our work at the NextGen. We have recently signed some very promising agreements with various research and education organizations from around the world, including India. I am already daydreaming about the exciting workshops, conferences, and fora that will amplify Taiwan’s voice. I certainly want to expand the scope of our activities, but I envision remaining true to our current mission – strengthening Taiwan’s international standing and continuing to make it even more sustainable, diverse, and inclusive.
