Leverage Mandarin-language to enhance India-Taiwan ties

New Delhi’s new education policy targets the Chinese Hanban and Confucius training centres, while opening opportunities for Taiwanese universities. Through Mandarin-language training centres and technological courses, Taiwan can expand its footprints in India

@Kunal_Chonkar

New Delhi: With the ‘one-China’ policy bilboes restraining New Delhi from giving Taipei an unconditional diplomatic embrace, Indian scholars advocated the two democracies to advance cooperation in language training and technical education to strengthen their relations.

From starting Mandarin-language training centres in Indian educational institutions to increasing students exchange programs, and translating major literary works between the two countries, experts outlined various strategies while speaking at the two-day (November 13 – 14) seminar – 2020 Workshop on Mandarin Chinese Language Teaching and Learning in India- held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The event was organized by the Program Office for Taiwan Education Centre in India at the National Tsing Hua University.

Expand footprints via language

With Hanban and Confucius Institutes at universities in India coming under increasing scrutiny of being tools of Chinese Communist Party propaganda, influence, and espionage, Namrata Hasija, the research fellow at the Centre for China Analysis and Strategy highlighted the ways in which language training could facilitate better collaboration between the two nations. In her key remarks, Hasija while citing statistics and research reports underscored the growing demand for Mandarin-language scholars and experts in India.

According to a research figure presented by the Chinese polymath, a Chinese-language expert gets paid 118.84 percent higher salaries against an average salary in India. Fuelled by the geopolitical developments, and rising international security concerns, the increase in the pay-package has continued to rocket further. Hasija suggested that the two governments can initially start projects on establishing Mandarin-language training centres in universities across India, followed by certificate courses on technological subjects.

“India’s new education policy targets the Chinese Hanban and Confucius training centres, while opening opportunities for Taiwanese universities. Through Mandarin-language training centres and technological courses, Taiwan can expand its footprints in India. Taiwan must make a proposal and present it to the New Delhi leadership as an alternative the Chinese centres,” Hasija said, while adding that Taiwanese universities need to scan and specifically target Indian cities which are witnessing rise in demand for Mandarin-language training.

Also Read: India Invites Taiwan To Partner in Digital Technology

Referring to another research report, Hasija pointed that cities like Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi and states like Punjab are on the lookout for Mandarin-language trainers and teachers. She recommended the government to boost the Taiwanese ‘Learn and Earn’ program, which is aimed at Indian high school graduates seeking advanced education and a career in the machinery industry in the island nation. “The good part of this program was the willingness of the Taiwanese industries to offer select talents a three-year employment contract following completion of the company-paid undergraduate degree and satisfactory performance evaluations during their three-year internship on the factory floor. Such programs will attract students and even professionals,” she added.

Adversity and advantage

Echoing into the comments made by Hasija, Jabin Jacob of the Shiv Nadar University, while holding New Delhi’s ‘romance with one-China policy’ responsible for limited bonding with Taipei, also levelled equal onus on the DPP-led Taiwanese Government.

“The DPP in its initial years of administration focussed only on internal developments. It was late in making movements in aspects of foreign relations. This was followed by the delayed diplomatic formalities and seconded by the bureaucratic slowdown. However, New Delhi’s drift away from Beijing is getting it closer to Taipei, and this is where soft diplomacy opportunities like language and culture come into play,” Jacob said while commending the outreach made by the administration under President Tsai Ing-wen and her New Southbound policy. He encouraged Taipei to focus on metropolitan cities, where on the heels of the Galvan valley clash and anti-China social appeal – there is a building appetite to learn the Chinese-language, comprehend China, and its approach.

“Students, businessmen, scholars, and others are eager to know about the mainland and its activities. The Indian Government is encouraging Taiwanese to come and teach Mandarin-language in India. The visa process and checks have become severe for the PRC population and not the ROC friends. Taiwan must jump on this opportunity,” propounded Jacob.

Weaponize language to dehyphenate China

Sana Hashmi, Taiwan Fellow at the Institute of International Relations at the National Chengchi University voiced that language training can be used as a strategic ‘soft’ tool to dehyphenate China.

“Language is the most underutilized aspect in the India-Taiwan relations. This aspect and cultural exchange must be used to strategically move the India-Taiwan relations ahead. There is a lot of room to have cultural collaboration events and programs between the two nations,” Hashmi said in her presentation to the attendees in Taiwan.

Drawing comparisons against the richly-funded Chinese exchange and scholarship programs to Indians, Hashmi claimed Taiwanese education initiatives for international students required ‘proper branding’ and ‘better funding.’

“The (Taiwanese) programs lack identification and branding. The stipends offered are very low against the ones extended by Chinese institutions. Thus, despite Taiwan offering educational courses and Mandarin-language training programs, Indians are still attracted to Chinese scholarships and institutions,” Hashmi observed.

The former consultant with Indian’s foreign affairs ministry, while outlining that India still has a Euro-centric approach and language preferences, appealed to Taipei to proactively partner with Indian institutions and varsities. She even put forth the idea of ‘Taiwanese teachers and scholars playing active roles in Indian think tanks and policy organizations.’

Reading China through Taiwanese script

Meanwhile, BR Deepak, Chairperson of the Institute of Chinese and South Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) while presenting the ancient Mandarin-language links in India, proffered a project to translate famous literary works from both countries. He said that, if one compares China’s research and translation of Indian classics, medieval, modern and contemporary works, India’s performance is abysmal. This also mirrors the state of China studies in India.

“India has initiated serious China studies after the 1962 conflict with China. However, the approach has been mostly ad-hoc, cosmetic and the element of the Chinese language in it has been neglected completely. Thus, India must enhance its understanding of China through Taiwan. Without building capacities in the Chinese language, India’s understanding is bound to be shallow. India must lay emphasis on integrating discipline with area studies,” Deepak said.

He added that it could be discerned that Chinese scholarship has picked up works written not only in Sanskrit and Hindi but also in Bengali, Tamil, Urdu, and English. “Thus, no wonder many universities across China are offering Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, and Punjabi languages at undergraduate and postgraduate levels,” the JNU academician said. While emphasizing that apart from the scattered translation of the Vedas, China has translated the almost entire repository of mainstream Indian literature, Deepak called upon Taiwanese scholars to translate and promote Indian epics – Ramayana and Mahabharata – to forge cultural ties with India.