Attendees in the first Taiwan-ASEAN Dialogue were received by Vice President Chen Chien-jen at the Office of the President Nov. 16 in Taipei City, underscoring the importance the government places on strengthening exchanges with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations under the New Southbound Policy.
The academics, government officials and lawmakers from home and ASEAN member states such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam were warmly welcomed by Chen, who praised them for their insightful contributions to the one-day dialogue held the day before in Taipei.
A wealth of ideas and suggestions were tabled during the event on the challenges and opportunities facing the region when boosting multilateral economic cooperation, as well as the development of democracy in Asia, Chen said. These are deeply appreciated, as is the call for joint undertakings in areas like maritime enforcement, humanitarian assistance and talent cultivation, he added.
Taiwan is willing and able to work with ASEAN in opening market access and sharing resources and talent, Chen said, reiterating that the two sides can also collaborate on drafting cooperative strategies for the development of the region.
According to the vice president, the New Southbound Policy is at the vanguard of government efforts to forge a sense of economic community between Taiwan and the 10-member ASEAN, with the Office of Trade Negotiations under the Executive Yuan responsible for coordinating related ministries and agencies and implementing the policy’s guidelines officially approved in mid-August.
A central plank in the government’s national development strategy, the New Southbound Policy aims to create fresh economic impetus and deepen business, cultural, education and trade links between Taiwan and ASEAN member states, South Asian countries, and Australia and New Zealand. One of its top priorities is bolstering people-to-people exchanges and talent flows between Taiwan and Southeast Asia.
The Taiwan-ASEAN Dialogue was organized by Taipei-headquartered nonprofit think tank Prospect Foundation, Indonesian Council on World Affairs and The Habibie Center—both Jakarta-based—in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (OC-E)
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