Taipei’s new Deputy Foreign Minister Chung-Kwang Tien is a warhorse in international affairs, who has shouldered a number of cardinal positions in various foreign missions of Taiwan. Under the careful vision of this India-Taiwan polymath, relations between the two democracies started to bud and burgeon with fruits of the trade-economic partnership, as he took charge as Taipei’s Chief of Mission to New Delhi in 2013. In an interview with Kunal Chonkar and Namrata Hasija, while propounding the Indian leadership to review its ‘one-China’ policy, Minister Tien discusses the strategic interests of the two democracies, while canvassing prospects of deeper multi-sectoral collaboration.
Excerpts of the interview:
Kunal: Let me start by first congratulating you on becoming Deputy Foreign Minister. How difficult is your new assignment given the current geopolitical developments and Taiwan?
Minister Tien: As Deputy Foreign Minister, I mainly oversee our bilateral relationships with countries in the Indo-Pacific region. My primary goal is to further promote cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and countries in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Australasia. Another aim is to consolidate ties with our four diplomatic allies in the Pacific.
As a reliable partner and a responsible stakeholder in the international community, Taiwan is willing and able to forge closer cooperative ties with the US, India, Japan, Australia, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries to jointly maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Recently, I have seen increasingly powerful and complex challenges arising from China’s assertiveness and expansionism. This has been particularly so during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After poaching two of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in the Pacific, Solomon Islands, and Kiribati, China has continued to build its political and economic clout in the Pacific. This has raised grave concerns regarding debt-trap diplomacy and other security issues. Working with the US, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and other like-minded partners, Taiwan will make every effort to strengthen cooperative relations with Pacific island countries.
As tension between the US and China continues to rise across the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, and the East China Sea, Taiwan is on the frontline of democracy standing against authoritarian aggression. Taiwan is committed to boosting its defense capabilities and is determined to safeguard regional peace and stability through a collective effort with like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
Namrata: You were posted to India from 2013 through earlier this year. Could you share your top five political and economic takeaways concerning India and Taiwan under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led administration?
Minister Tien: India is one of the primary partner countries of Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy introduced by President Tsai Ing-wen. The New Southbound Policy aims to promote economic cooperation and strengthen people-to-people and educational exchanges, thereby bolstering Taiwan’s soft power in the region. At this critical juncture, India may prove to be an attractive destination for Taiwanese comprehensive investment.
The New Southbound Policy also offers a unique opportunity for Taiwan to shift some of its manufacturing to India. I believe Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Act East Policy and President Tsai Ing-wen’s New Southbound Policy are complementary and can expand the business and cultural partnership between India and Taiwan. We would like to commend Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in launching such initiatives as Make in India, Digital India, Skill India, and Startup India to spur economic and industrial development.
Taiwan has expressed its willingness to strengthen economic and trade ties with India and to engage with these initiatives to broaden bilateral collaboration. Taiwan and India are natural partners when it comes to trade and industry. Taiwan plays a leading role in the information technology hardware supply chain, while India is a leader in software. The complementary nature of our strengths means furthering cooperation is a win-win for both sides.
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We welcome India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative as part of a collective pursuit toward a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. Taiwan shares India’s concerns regarding the strategic, security, and environmental challenges in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain. Taiwan is ready and willing to work with India and other like-minded partners to maintain maritime security, promote marine conservation, and ensure sustainable development in the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
Over the past few years, India has shown a desire to expand social and cultural ties with Taiwan. We have set up 18 Taiwan Education Centers in India to promote Mandarin learning and educational exchanges. There are around 2,800 Indian students studying in Taiwan today. We believe that language learning opens doors to further our relationship long into the future.
Kunal: After a year into your position in India, you called India a land of opportunities for Taiwan. You even said that your primary aim was to promote a two-pronged strategy around creating a need for Taiwan and making India a base for sustainable operations. How successful were you in achieving these goals? What would you have done differently?
Minister Tien: India is truly a land of opportunities for Taiwan. Figures attest to this. Bilateral trade has grown more than sevenfold from US$1 billion in 2000 to almost US$7.5 billion in 2019. Today, nearly 120 Taiwanese companies, including Foxconn and Wistron, have set up operations in India. These firms have invested US$2.3 billion in the fields of ICT, medical devices, automobile components, machinery, steel, electronics, construction, engineering, and financial services. Taiwanese companies feel confident about entering the Indian market, as India provides tremendous business opportunities.
Taiwan and India signed a Bilateral Investment Agreement and the Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Authorized Economic Operators in 2018. This laid the groundwork for Taiwanese companies to increase investment in India and build a network with Indian entrepreneurs. In 2019, an official platform, Taiwan Plus, was set up to facilitate Taiwanese investment in India. Such arrangements are designed to solidify our trade and investment ties.
Namrata: You have moved into a decision-making role in your new position. How do you plan to advance relations with India and in which areas?
Minister Tien: Taiwan and India are countries bound by the shared values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. We have witnessed growing bilateral cooperation and exchanges in a wide array of fields. The New Southbound Policy has led to a significant expansion of economic and trade ties. As we move forward, we can discuss ways to strengthen collaboration on creating resilient supply chains in support of a post-pandemic recovery.
We have a shared interest in safeguarding peace, stability, and the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region. We uphold freedom of navigation in international waters, respect territorial integrity and sovereignty, and seek peaceful resolution of disputes. However, India has bound itself to a “one-China” policy. This has limited official contact between India and Taiwan.
We hope the Indian government will review its policy toward Taiwan and show creativity and flexibility in finding ways to engage us. It is in our common interest to conduct high-level exchanges and enhance cooperation on public health, maritime security, cyber security, infrastructure, counter-disinformation, and counterterrorism.
Kunal: The anti-China sentiment in India is high. How does Taiwan plan to make the most of this situation?
Minister Tien: Recently, Taiwan has received a tremendous amount of support and empathy from India’s public, academia, and media. China’s increasingly assertive stance on the world stage is reflected in its “wolf warrior diplomacy,” which is aimed at expanding its geopolitical and economic influence. Taiwan and India have shared concerns over China’s coercive behavior and military ambitions in the region.
To protect our freedom and sovereignty, it is time for like-minded countries and democratic friends in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond to discuss a framework under which we can make a sustained and concerted effort to deter aggressive activity.
Namrata: Are there plans to expand tailored trade deals if a free trade agreement is not on the horizon? What about cooperation in other sectors such as cellphones, tea, education, information technology, culture, and entertainment?
Minister Tien: In the post-pandemic era, we are likely to see a restructuring of global supply chains. As a global hub for cutting-edge technology in semiconductor manufacturing and other high-tech domains such as artificial intelligence and 5G, Taiwan can play a pivotal role in supply chain restructuring and serve as a reliable partner for India. There are 2,783 Indian students presently studying in Taiwan.
The number of students has grown dramatically over the past few years. To promote Mandarin-language learning, Taiwan set up 18 Taiwan Education Centers at universities all over India. Over 7,000 Indian students have benefited from courses at these institutions. Regarding cultural exchanges, Taiwan’s films are screened every year at India’s major film festivals.
Performing arts groups from Taiwan are well-received by Indian audiences. Youth Ambassador delegations sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have visited India to promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges. In Taiwan, Bollywood films have grown more popular. Cooperation in science and technology covers a wide range of fields such as agriculture and food science, new materials useful in sustainable energy solutions, and storage devices.
Kunal: Are you satisfied with India’s current outlook and approach towards Taiwan? If you were Deputy Foreign Minister of India, what would you do differently with Taiwan and China?
Minister Tien: Taiwan and India first set up representative offices in each other’s countries in 1995. Since then, our relationship has progressed steadily. We have made tremendous progress on trade and investment since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office. Taiwan is a democratic, sovereign state with its own government and leaders selected through free elections.
Taiwan’s sovereignty, democracy, and freedom should be respected and recognized. If I were in a position to change things in India, I would review the “one-China” policy as unilaterally defined by the People’s Republic of China. India’s relations with Taiwan absolutely do not fall under the framework of India-China relations. India should establish a robust and constructive relationship with democratic Taiwan across a broad spectrum. Our shared values and interests are the bedrock of the Taiwan-India relationship. I would work closely with my Taiwanese counterpart to establish a free trade agreement, expand security cooperation, and bolster Taiwan’s international standing.
Namrata: Should India and Taiwan upgrade their relationship to a strategic partnership now? Do you think defense ties can also be upgraded?
Minister Tien: Taiwan’s location in the first island chain off the Asian continent and between Northeast and Southeast Asia is strategically important. As a thriving democracy, Taiwan is a peacemaker and a responsible stakeholder in the region. Taiwan is a natural and reliable partner for India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
Our partnership with India is built on a common foundation of democracy, economic development, security, and people-to-people ties. It would be sensible to upgrade ties. I believe a strategic partnership established by Taiwan with India would become a cornerstone of regional peace and security. In the future, we will certainly explore the possibility of upgrading our strategic partnership with India, including security and defense cooperation.
