Panelists assess Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy at Yushan Forum | Taiwan News

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A panel of international leaders and experts on Friday (Oct. 8) shared their perspectives on increasing Taiwan’s presence in the Indo-Pacific via the country’s New Southbound Policy (NSP) in the post-pandemic era at the fifth annual Yushan Forum.

During the morning session of the conference, titled, “Promoting cooperation in the new reality,” panelists talked about the achievements that Taiwan and its regional partners have made through flagship NSP programs. The discussion was moderated by Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation Chairman Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao (蕭新煌).

Cabinet minister without portfolio John Chen Chung Deng (鄧振中) kicked off the panel by saying that better global cooperation “is the only way forward” and that Taiwan seeks to help like-minded countries “wherever and whenever we can.”

Former U.S. Under Secretary of State Keith Krach said that during his term, his goal was to strengthen global support for Taiwan. He said that he had worked hard to bolster support for countries that recognize the East Asian nation and provide the backing they deserve.

He mentioned that during his whirlwind trip to Taiwan in September 2020, his goals included building a foundation of trust, establishing a formal economic partnership, and laying the groundwork for formal trade relations. Krach added that it was an honor to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), calling her a “role model of courage” and a great friend to the U.S.

Supply chains

Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chern Chyi-chen (陳正祺) said that Taiwan wants to pursue regional investment cooperation and economic integration. He noted that countries that are part of the NSP have become a major global manufacturing hub and added the Tsai administration is looking at how to promote more Taiwan companies to be part of this global supply chain shift.

He added the U.S.-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue and a future bilateral investment agreement would allow NSP countries to work with Taiwan and the U.S.

Indonesia Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Dr. Wahyu Utomo said that global supply chains have been disrupted but Taiwan’s NSP, along with the U.S.’ Indo-Pacific strategy, have built resilient supply chains that “bolster broader growth.”

Utomo said that Indonesia has signed a memorandum of understanding with Taiwan to set up a framework for economic cooperation. He added that through the NSP, Taiwan companies have been making strategic moves into ASEAN nations.

Taiwan Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Chung Liang Shih (石崇良) said that Tsai implemented the NSP to expand Taiwan’s biotech and healthcare industries in Southeast Asia, as well as to enhance the region’s healthcare quality through cooperation. Tsai also wanted Taiwan to become a local hub for medical services and research.

Chung added that an NSP 2.0 will be implemented in 2022, which will focus on regional healthcare links and optimize resource integration, coordination mechanisms, and information platforms.

Mon Chi-lio (劉孟奇), deputy minister of education, said the NSP Talent Development Program has targeted Southeast and South Asian countries, offering quality education and professional training programs and expanding bilateral exchanges. He added that Taiwan has signed memorandums of understanding with India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

In 2020, more than 5,500 students from the region were studying in Taiwan, Mon said. The deputy minister said that Taiwan also has a strong Chinese-language education sector that sees an average of 215 Huayu enrichment scholarships offered annually to Southeast and South Asian students.

He added that Taiwan provides Mandarin Chinese teachers and teaching assistants overseas with round trip airfares, monthly stipends, and teaching material allowances. Additionally, Mon said the government is expanding teaching and learning resources including online Chinese-language courses, Chinese language proficiency tests, and teacher training workshops.

Bilingual nation

With regard to Taiwan’s Bilingual Nation 2030 initiative, Mon said the nation is relaxing rules to allow for flexible mechanisms so new learning modes can be created. It is also adopting a dynamic teaching approach with a focus on daily English use.

“Taiwan’s educational cooperation with regional countries will continue to grow after the pandemic,” he said.

Tedoro J. Herbosa, special advisor to the Philippines’ National Task Force Against COVID-19, said the Philippines and Taiwan had thriving health and medicine-related cooperation programs but the pandemic put a stop to it. To restart bilateral collaboration, digital learning could be implemented, he said.

Areas of future digital collaboration could include telemedicine, teleradiology, telehealth, drug discovery, disaster medicine, and disaster systems. He added that Taiwan can help the Philippines establish a Center for Disease Control and a virology institute for jab production and vaccine self-sufficiency.

Intan Ahmad, an entomology professor at Indonesia’s Bandung Institute of Technology, said that COVID-19 has forced the world to adapt to new challenges. He said that preparing younger generations for future jobs that don’t exist yet is a “daunting task” for higher education institutions.

He said that schools need to teach students the skills they need to succeed in this new world. Ahmad listed digital and data literacy, emotional and social intelligence, and critical and contextual thinking as useful abilities that cannot be replaced by technology.

Junne Jih Chen (陳駿季), Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture deputy minister, said the nation is ramping up its smart agriculture development. Efforts to incorporate AI, IoT, sensors, robotics, drones, and smart devices will boost domestic agricultural productivity and can be used to help regional partners via NSP collaboration.

He said that Taiwan is already working with Vietnam, the Philippines, and Australia in smart agriculture.

Meanwhile, Australia Agriculture Deputy Secretary David Hazlehurst said that his country is finding ways to maintain its agricultural productivity and exports to the Indo-Pacific. He added that Australia has come up with a multi-faceted strategy that includes liberalizing trade, strengthening regulations, and bolstering relations with trade partners, including Taiwan, which is central to Australia’s success as an exporting country.