Indian scholar Namrata Hasija, Research Fellow of the Center for Analysis and Strategy in New Delhi, calls for strengthened relations between India and Taiwan in her article “India should bolster Taiwan ties to frustrate China’s aggressive designs” published on April 1, 2019.
The article says bilateral trade between India and Taiwan has grown nearly six-fold, from USD1.19 billion in 2001 to USD6.4 billion in 2017 and while Taiwan’s “New Southbound Policy” infused a new vibrancy in India-Taiwan relations, it also invited strong reactions from Beijing including protest to a Taiwanese parliamentary visit to India in 2017.
The article says the Indian government must realize that China has proven time and again that it does not respect Indian sensitivities, despite India’s concessions to the Chinese government since the Wuhan Summit between Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping in April, 2018.
It stresses that China not only blocked the UN Security Council committee from declaring JeM leader Masood Azhar as a global terrorist but also invested heavily in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and repeatedly blocked India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
The article says India needs to realize the intentions of the Chinese leadership and Taiwan can prove to be a significant asset to India’s international strategy. In conclusion, India should engage with Taiwan with their common core values of democracy and liberal economy as a guiding light to deepen their relationship, the article says.
https://southasiamonitor.org/news/india-should-bolster-taiwan-ties-to-frustrate-china-146-s-aggressive-designs/defence/29225
