The Legislative Yuan

Press Release

September 12, 2023

You Si-kun meets Mr. Manharsinh Laxmanbhai Yadav, new Director General of India Taipei Association (ITA)

 You Si-kun: Looking forward to the establishment of India-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group to strengthen relations. 

 Accompanied by Secretary General Lin Jih-jia, Consultant Chou Ya-shu and Director Kevin Chen-fu Lin of the Department of International Affairs of the Legislative Yuan, Deputy Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang, Director Peter Sha-li Lan of the Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, President You Si-kun received new Director General Manharsinh Laxmanbhai Yadav, and Deputy General Aparna Ganesan of India Taipei Association (ITA).

In his remarks, President You started by welcoming Director General Yadav for his new post. President You pointed out that Director Generla Yadav has abundant diplomatic experiences to the United Nations, European Union, the United States and others. His appointment reflects the Indian government’s attachment of importance to its relations with Taiwan. On behalf of the Legislative Yuan, President You extend warm welcome to him, and congratulated on his new post.

President You continued to state that as the international situation changes rapidly recently, the Indo-Pacific region is becoming increasing important. As an important force of stability in this region, India has the largest population of the world with thriving economic development. Taiwanese businesspeople played a critical role in China’s economic rise. He believed that once again they will play a pivotal role for India’s economic development.

He continued to state that since former U.S. President Trump proposed the Indo-Pacific strategy and former Japanese Prime Minister Abe a free and open Indo-Pacific when he visited the United States, and the replacement of the United States Pacific Command with the Indo-Pacific Command on May 30, 2018, all of the instances showed the importance of Indo-Pacific strategy. Taiwan underscores its exchanges and cooperation with India. The Taiwan India Association was founded by President You in 2006 and served as the first president. Its inception was the result of the collaboration with Taiwan’s think tanks. The association plays an important platform for exchanges between Taiwan and India.     

President You further pointed out he looked forward further deepening relations between Taiwan and India, including talents cultivation and exchanges. He also hoped that India-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group will be established, Taiwan and India could sign Free Trade Agreement or India could invite Taiwan to participate in QUAD mechanisms. President You taking China’s latest Standard Map 2023, which included Taiwan, Soth China Sea islands, and the disputed territories between Taiwan and India as an example, urging China’s neighboring countries should cooperate to prevent being defeated one by one and to cause further threats to global peace and stability.

In response, Director General Yadav thanked President You’s time, showing his care about relations between Taiwan and India. Both India and Taiwan are democratic countries. India is willing to deepen relations with Taiwan. When Prime Minister Modi received Taiwanese business people, he once said that India and Taiwan are natural partners. IT means India and Taiwan.

Director General Yadav continued to express that India underscores its trade and investment with Taiwan. Taiwanese business people’s hard work and investment in India is indeed very important to India’s economic growth. As an emerging manufacturing country, India and Taiwan can complement with each other. Through the existing mechanisms of bilateral agreement or dialogue or signing more MOUs to strengthen cooperation. In addition, he also hope to enhance exchanges of talents. Although there is no India-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group, he hoped that such organizations can pay visits to Taiwan in the future to strengthen bilateral parliamentary exchanges and cooperation.

Director General Yada concluded by stressing that India care lot about peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. He hoped to continue to seek guidance from President You and to strengthen cooperation with the Legislative Yuan to enhance friendship.