Looking South Episode #1 – What is the New Southbound Policy?

The Tsai Ing-wen administration announced the New Southbound Policy as one of its main initiatives after taking office, and is already making strides to enhance ties with Taiwan’s partner countries in the Southeast Asia region. But what exactly does the Policy entail?

In this inaugural episode of Looking South, Eric Gau chats with Taiwan Institute of Economic Research Department of International Affairs Director Dr. Chen-Sheng Ho, who explains in more detail what the Policy means both for Taiwan and its neighbors.

 

Transcript:

Eric Gau:  Good morning everyone, and welcome to “Looking South,” a new weekly program here on ICRT. During this segment, we will delve into the Taiwan government’s New Southbound Policy, and explore what it means, both for Taiwan, and for its partners in the region.

I’m Eric Gau, and to kick off the series, we’ve invited, Taiwan Institute of Economic Research Director, Dr. Chen‑Sheng Ho.

Director Ho, thank you so much for taking the time to join us on the air today.

Director Ho:  Okay! Great! Hello, nice to meet you.

Eric:  Director Ho, just please start off by giving our listeners a brief introduction to the New Southbound Policy. What is it? And what does it hope to achieve?

Director Ho:  Basically, the New Southbound Policy is trying to enhance the economic, trade, and cultural ties, with the countries of the New Southbound Policy. It’s about 18 countries that encompasses Southeast Asia ‑‑ the ASEAN countries ‑‑ the South Asia countries, such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. And of course, Oceania, Australasia. That would be Australia, and New Zealand.

The focus of the policy will be in several areas. Basically, it includes all the major issues that a country can advance the relations with other countries in the region. For example, the issues of trade and investment, the people to people exchanges, the cultural exchanges, educational exchanges, research, tourism, and talent cultivation.

Eric:  This is a pretty ambitious project since it encompasses so many things. What challenges will the government have to overcome implementing the policy?

Director Ho:  I hesitate to start with the word challenges, because basically it has just started. But I think that there are certain things that the government should do, and that could be the challenge in itself. That is the right amount of the target itself, the benchmark, are they being correctly set?

Because I think for the people if you are not clear about the target, they might be thinking of other things that you cannot achieve. For example, because the New Southbound Policy lead to diplomatic recognition, which is probably a very hard thing to do. But if for all the total issues ‑‑ the areas that I’ve mentioned previously ‑‑ certain things would probably come easier than others.

For example, such as the people to people exchanges, the cultural exchanges, educational exchanges, research exchanges, tourism, and talent cultivation. Maybe, in terms of trade and investment, because it takes a lot of funding, and it also needs the support of the business community. Certain things are so hard, but we still need to ensure that they are the long‑term goals that we want to achieve.

Eric:  You mentioned people to people exchanges right now with education, and tourism and all that. How do you expect the New Southbound Policy is going to affect the way that Taiwan is viewed by residents living in the countries targeted under the policy? What about its effects outside the immediate area?

Director Ho:  Yes. In terms of how the people in Taiwan can become more familiar with the New Southbound Policy, certainly through the media, such as right now. ICRT for sure. the TV.

I think the important thing is that we want to explain to people that while we are doing this policy, not because we want to enhance our ties ‑‑ the various ties with all these countries ‑‑ but at the same time, we need to ensure that the people in Taiwan knows these countries. Maybe, that’s one important thing that could be achievable.

What about its effects outside the immediate area? Well, certainly, I think the important achievements that come out of this New Southbound Policy, we can take these as cases to show to our friends in other countries. Because we also have ties with countries in Central America, in the Caribbean. For example, my department works on the APEC issues for the government. We have been actually in APEC, because APEC includes the 21‑member economies from both sides of the Asia‑Pacific, from Latin America. As a matter of fact, the APEC meeting this year was held in Peru. We can take these experiences to all our friends in other countries.

Eric:  How do you think people living in, say, Vietnam, or Australia, countries that are targeted? How will this change their views of Taiwan?

Director Ho:  I think that with the concerted effort and, for example, our representative offices in those countries, they can try to explain more about the policy. At the same time, provide periodically information about what’s been going on with the trade investment, or the people to people, education, and cultural. Also, to let them know that this is a two way thing.

We don’t just want them to know, we also want to let them know that if they do, for example, in terms of tourism, because the tourism numbers, are actually increasing for the people in Southeast Asian countries. That they have been coming to Taiwan more, and I think this is a good thing. We need to explain to them.

In the long run, because of this New Southbound Policy, there are certain areas that most likely will achieve more than others. But overall I think it’s a very good thing. Because that way our friendship with the countries in the Asia‑Pacific region will certainly advance.

I want to add, especially the education aspect, because we want to let them know that we do have our government, the Ministry of Education, will be offering more scholarships. I think they will appreciate that because Taiwan actually is known as being a place for entrepreneurship. If they can come and study, and at same time, the government is also trying to enhance the talent cultivation.

This means trying to enhance the number of startups in Taiwan. At the same time, our accelerators, our incubators can offer more positions for entrepreneurs from this New Southbound Policy, such as Vietnam and Thailand. They can come to Taiwan and be entrepreneurs. This is the trend right now.

Eric:  We’ve been speaking with TIER Director, Chen‑Sheng Ho. Director, thank you again for enlightening us today.

Director Ho:  Thank you so much.

Eric:  Thank you, Director.

Director Ho:  OK.

Eric:  That wraps up the first installment of Looking South here on ICRT. Tune in again next week as we take another look at the New Southbound Policy and its prospects. I’m Eric Gau, and thank you all for tuning in.

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