As Taipei continues to lose official diplomatic partners, unofficial Taiwanese relations with regionally significant countries, fulfill an important role in maintaining Taiwan’s aspiration of independence. Due to India’s economic and political importance within Asia, it could also serve as a powerful unofficial partner in fulfilling this goal
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Mumbai: The dilemma for governments across the world has been to create a balance between protecting lives and livelihoods. Existing international dynamics have been to a great extent influenced by the emergence of middle powers, or emerging powers in the world. States have the main aspirations both domestically and internationally to uphold their development and to increase their projection. Though, little has been written on how countries’ foreign policy can help their development goals, like most works on this relations rather than economics.
The foreign policy of a nation-state is formulated to protect and support its national interests in the conduct of relations with other countries, bilaterally and multilaterally. India’s strategy of dealing with the COVID-19 crisis has to set up and to bounce back and emerge stronger with vigorous economic growth agendas. India has been promoting her neighborhood first policy. India has never questioned Tibet or Taiwan being part of the one-China policy.
The recent Galwan incident has made India think and make a strategy for its own security and development. China has been thin-skinned about everything, especially about Hong Kong, Tibet, and Taiwan. The Indian aspiration in promoting its role in development strategies is an important theme of our political economy mechanism.
Taiwan has been a country with the highest per capita income in the world. There is a strong line of thinking that understands the Indian economy in present times and requires a deep need for a strong bridge state when it comes to overcoming the gap that separates them from the developed countries.
Taiwan is a very rich, wealthy, and strong economy, also in the neighborhood which can support the emerging economies like India. India has a population of 130 million as a market for the International producers. Taiwan’s relations with India have increased to a great extent across trade, research and academia as well depth trade and commerce ties amounted to $7.5 billion in 2019, an increase from $1 billion in 2000.
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The Taiwanese government has an envoy office, the science and technology division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India (TECC), responsible for facilitating collaboration on education, tourism, culture, the media, and economic development.
Taiwan’s increased investments have occurred in the face of cultural challenges, bureaucratic hurdles, and pressure on India from domestic producers.
Taiwan’s per capita income is five times that the mainland China. Despite the fact that India and Taiwan would both benefit economically from greater relations, especially with the possibility of a Free Trade Area (FTA), their relationship would likely extend to informal diplomatic recognition. Further, India is extremely improbable to campaign for Taiwan in other formal diplomatic spheres, including the UN, at the risk of aggravating tensions with China.
Both India and Taiwan mutually benefit from increased relations and citizen-to-citizen connections. As Taiwan continues to lose official diplomatic partners, unofficial Taiwanese relations with regionally significant countries, fulfill an important role in maintaining Taiwan’s aspiration of independence. Due to India’s economic and political importance within Asia, it could also serve as a powerful unofficial partner in fulfilling this goal.
Under the new President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen, it has moved ahead to change itself from one-China policy. Conversely, India and Taiwan in recent times highly regarded diplomats as de facto envoys in each other’s capitals, signaling an aspiration to give impetus to their bilateral agreements. India named Gourangalal Das, an on the rise diplomat managing relations with the US, as its envoy in Taipei.
Taiwan appointed Baushuan Ger, who was Director-General of the Department of East Asian and Pacific affairs and had served in the US, as its representative in India. According to the Taiwan News threshold report, the relationship with India is likely to become one of Taiwan’s most significant diplomatic priorities in future prospects.-By Dr. Liyaqat Khan
About the Author: Professor (Dr.) Liyaqat Ayub Khan is the Associate Professor in the Department of Civics and Politics, University of Mumbai. He is also the coordinator for Post-Graduate Diploma in International Studies Program at the island city varsity. Specialized in Defence and Strategic Studies, he has published numerous articles and research papers in national and international journals.
Email: liyaqat69@politics.mu.ac.in
