Looking South Episode #10 – ASEAN

Rounding out the first ten episodes of Looking South, Eric Gau chats with Professor Alan Yang of the National Chengchi University’s Institute of International Relations about the New Southbound Policy’s importance in regards to ASEAN.

Transcript:

Eric Gau:  Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Looking South, here on ICRT. I’m Eric Gau, and in today’s installment, we’ll be taking a look at how the new Southbound Policy will interact with the Association of South East Asian Nations, also known as ASEAN.

To explain the links between the two, we are pleased to have Professor Alan Yang, from National Chengchi University’s Institute of International Relations, here on the air with us.

Professor Yang, welcome to the program.

Professor Alan Yang:  Pleased to meet you.

Eric:  Professor, Taiwan’s new Southbound Policy, it targets many ASEAN member states. Can you just explain to us, why is it so important for Taiwan to improve ties with these countries in the region?

Professor Yang:  Apparently, Taiwan is located in the Asia‑Pacific, and is quite closely connected with South East Asia. It’s very important for Taiwan to do something to…I always call that some kind of Three Rs Strategy.

The first one is to reconnect Taiwan with the region in a more constructive and also more flexible way. The second one will be, by reconnecting Taiwan and the region, we have to relocate Taiwan’s role, and Taiwan’s capacity in contributing to the current project of ASEAN and also South Asia.

For example, we know that ASEAN is promoting ASEAN’s community since the late 1990s. They’re aimed at establishing three pillar of the regional community.

The first one is political security community, the second one is economic community, and the third one ‑‑ is quite important to us ‑‑ that is social‑cultural connectivity. If we can frame on national strategy, not only focused on external economic relations, we can relocate Taiwan’s contribute in accordance with the current project…the community building project.

The third ‑‑ is most important to us ‑‑ is to recreate a new common concern and also common interest with our ASEAN counterparts. I think this is the way maybe the rationale of Taiwanese government ‑‑ the new government ‑‑ to promote its relation and role, to improve its tie in the region.

Eric:  Of course, ASEAN is already…it’s all about increasing regional integration. What examples or models do you think Taiwan can learn from ASEAN as it pursues the new Southbound Policy?

Professor Yang:  ASEAN is very unique in its association and international organization composed by small and medium sized countries.

In recent years, they are pushing forward the idea of ASEAN connectivity, and also ASEAN centrality. With regard to ASEAN centrality, the idea is very simple. They try to attract the support and engagement from the major power by engaging in this specific international network.

Taiwan’s international space and Taiwan’s contribution can be highlighted. That’s for the first issue that we can also learn and also share with them, based upon the ASEAN centrality idea.

The second one is ASEAN connectivity. The way they try to link different country, different industrial sector, and different institutional setting, so they establish the physical link. I mean the infrastructure connectivity between different capital, different locality, and they try to also friend a new institution setting at a common ground among different countries.

I think these two ideas, ASEAN connectivity, and also ASEAN centrality are very important to the whole region. Taiwan can learn from these models and these example, and the on‑going process. We cannot isolate our self from this current process. I think this is the way, how Taiwan can engage these models.

Eric:  Turning now to more people to people connections, Taiwan has already expanded its visa‑free entry program to include a few more ASEAN members since the announcement of the policy earlier this year.

Apparently numbers from those countries have grown considerably in that time. Where do you think the Taiwan government should focus its efforts as it further promotes the new Southbound Policy?

Professor Yang:  The new government has prioritized the people centered agenda as a rationale to push forward Taiwan’s new Southbound Policy. As you mentioned that visa‑free…I think this is a quite good visa‑free entry program is a quite good initiative as the first step to facilitate the bilateral connectivity between Taiwan, and most of the South East Asian countries.

If we are looking to deepen the relationship, not only having this kind of visa‑free. We have to establish a South East Asia or a South Asia friendly environment in Taiwanese society.

For example the Halal food and also necessary information translated into different South East Asia language. By promoting the South East Asian friendly environment at Taiwanese locality, that can facilitate our relationship with the South East Asian tourist, and they will be much more willing to visit Taiwan.

Eric:  President Tsai has also said that attracting students from ASEAN countries, that’s going to be one of her main goals for the new Southbound Policy. Why is that critical both for Taiwan, and for these partner nations, and how can Taiwan make itself a more attractive place for international students such as them?

Professor Yang:  Increasing number of student from Vietnam, from Thailand, and from Indonesia…they are willing to study in Taiwan as a intellectual base, because Taiwanese universities, they enjoy very good ranking in international system.

And also we have a very good academic performance, as well as the capacity building and training program in specific area. For example, the medical treatment, bio‑chemistry, and even the management.

By providing a good environment for our international students, not only including South East Asia, but to the global students. I think Taiwan can use this new Southbound Policy to be more internationalized at campus.

Eric:  Now the government’s also putting more resources into improving the flow of talent between Taiwan, and its ASEAN neighbors. How will this effect Taiwan’s international competitiveness, and its ability to retain talented workers within the country?

Professor Yang:  In Taiwan, we have many NGO group. For example they are working on capacity building program for the transnational worker in Taiwan. They provide some courses so that they can ‑‑ this specific, our economic partner ‑‑ they can learn from some management skill and technique, and know how.

When they get back to their home country they can use this specific management skill to run their own small shop or small medium enterprise.

I think this is a good example to show that Taiwan can provide a solid training and to provide incentive for the South East Asian transnational worker here to learn, and to improve themselves, and then go back to the South.

Eric:  That wraps up today’s look at the new Southbound Policy and ASEAN. Professor Yang, thank you so much for your time today.

Professor Yang:  Thank you.

Eric:  That’s it for this installment of Looking South here on ICRT. I’m Eric Gau, and we’ll see you again at this time next week.

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