President Tsai Ing-wen said Oct. 11 that Taiwan is committed to promoting sustainable regional prosperity by fostering collaboration under the New Southbound Policy.
Asia has emerged as the world’s economic growth engine, but stands at a historic juncture amid rising tensions between global powers and increasing demands for inclusive development, Tsai said.
According to the president, meeting these challenges requires collective action and Taiwan can be a driving force for cooperation. “Taiwan can help Asia and Asia can help Taiwan.”
Tsai made the remarks at the opening of the Yushan Forum Oct. 11 in Taipei City. Organized by Taipei-based think tank Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation, the event, also known as the Asian Dialogue for Innovation and Progress, is themed Working Together for Regional Prosperity.
The two-day forum comprises keynote addresses and panel discussions exploring collaborative opportunities in such areas as agriculture, culture, education, health care and talent cultivation. Speakers include U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator Jane Nishida; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi of India; and Frederik Willem de Klerk, former president of South Africa.
Tsai described the forum as a unique platform for advancing collaboration and celebrating diversity, innovation and progressive values. It also provides an opportunity to review Taiwan’s success in expanding ties with regional partners through the NSP, she said.
According to the president, the policy has yielded positive results across a broad spectrum of areas, with bilateral trade with target countries growing by 15 percent last year and Taiwan’s investment in the nations rising by 54 percent during the same period.
Tsai highlighted Taiwan’s efforts to help NSP countries build capacity in fields spanning agriculture, information and communication technology and public health. Progress in this regard is evidenced by the signing of 69 memorandums of understanding and letters of intent between Taiwan public and private sector organizations and NSP counterparts in 2017.
Under the policy, the nation is also empowering the region’s best and brightest, Tsai said. About 41,000 students from NSP countries were enrolled in Taiwan tertiary institutions in the first half of 2018, while the number of Taiwanese studying in these countries increased by 20 percent last year, she added.
Tourism exchanges have similarly registered impressive gains, as Taiwan welcomed more than 4 million visitors from NSP countries over the past two years. Growing people-to-people connections are forging greater regional communication and understanding, the president said.
According to Tsai, the Yushan Forum is a testament to Taiwan’s commitment to the NSP. It also spotlights the continued efforts of the government, private sector and civil society in Taiwan to enhance sustainable prosperity, she said, adding that the collective solutions explored at the event can help shape a brighter future for the region.
A key plank in Tsai’s national development strategy, the NSP seeks to deepen Taiwan’s agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand. (KWS-E)
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