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Taiwan unveils ‘southbound’ policy with beneficial co-op

Common prosperity: Head of the Taipei Economic and Trade Office (TETO) in Jakarta Liang Jen Chang (center) proposes a toast with Indonesian lawmakers Dewi Coryati from the National Mandate Party (left), Miryam S

Tama Salim (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, October 11, 2016

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Taiwan unveils ‘southbound’ policy with beneficial co-op

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span class="inline inline-center">Common prosperity: Head of the Taipei Economic and Trade Office (TETO) in Jakarta Liang Jen Chang (center) proposes a toast with Indonesian lawmakers Dewi Coryati from the National Mandate Party (left), Miryam S. Haryani from the Hanura Party (second left) and Daniel Johan from the National Awakening Party (right) during a reception to celebrate the 105th anniversary of Taiwan’s National Day on Monday evening in Jakarta. The National Day, also known as Double Ten Day, commemorates the start of the Wuchang Uprising on Oct. 10, 1911, which led to the fall of the Qing Dynasty.(JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

Taiwan has announced a new policy for mutually beneficial cooperation with Indonesia and 17 other countries in ASEAN and South Asia, as well as Australia, a representative of the Taiwanese trade office has said.

The so-called southbound policy will encompass enhanced economic partnerships, specialist exchanges and resource sharing, Taipei Economic and Trade Office (TETO) head Liang-Jen Chang said during his speech at the 105th annual commemoration of Double Ten Day in Jakarta.

Double Ten Day commemorates the Xinhai Revolution that overthrew China’s last imperial dynasty, the Qing Dynasty. The revolution started with the Wuchang Uprising, which took place on Oct. 10, 1911.

As part of the new policy, Taiwan plans to simplify visa regulations and promote halal food and spiritual tourism to Indonesia’s Muslim community, Chang said.

Taiwan’s resources, expertise and manpower feed “very well” into President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s blueprint for national development, Chang said, citing the 13 economic stimulus packages announced by the government as exemplary.

“In the strong foundation of our partnership and our new southbound policy, we will build more linkages, more connections, more help, more collaborations between our two sides to create a win-win result,” he said.

Chang also placed a strong emphasis on education for economic growth, which is also expected to enhance people-to-people relations between Taiwan and Indonesia. TETO said there were around 4,500 Indonesians studying in Taiwan.

“Starting next year, we will double or even triple the number of people who can earn scholarships from Taiwan,” Chang said in his speech to a crowd of businesspeople, dignitaries and diplomats on Monday evening.

“It helps the meeting of minds between our people.”

In the field of tourism, two-way exchanges reached almost 400,000 in 2015. TETO aims to increase the figure by 15 to 20 percent next year, Chang said.

“In the wake of the tourist exchanges, I think they will find more business opportunities and more friendships between our people,” he added.

In addition to the focus on tourism and education, Chang said Taiwan would prioritize plans to promote five major innovative industries, including green energy, biotechnology, smart machinery, national defense and “the establishment of a Silicon Valley in Taiwan”.

Chang said Indonesian businesses were invited to invest in these five industries to achieve mutual economic prosperity.

As part of the Double Ten Day celebrations, TETO has set up an exhibition of Taiwanese products in the creative industries, as well as the culinary treats that are popular among Indonesians, such as bubble tea, snow ice and golden coffee.

Indonesia was Taiwan’s 12th-largest trading partner in 2014, being the ninth-largest source of imports and the 14th-largest export destination.

Taiwan’s major exports to Indonesia include oil products, iron and steel products, textile raw materials, machinery spare parts and chemical products.

Meanwhile, Indonesia mostly exports coal, natural gas, copper and gold condensates, wood, rubber and other raw materials.

 Indonesian exports to Taiwan in 2015 amounted to US$5.96 billion, a decreasing of 19.2 percent from the previous year of $7.38 billion. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s export value in 2015 was $3.04 billion, a reduction of 20.7 percent from $3.83 billion in 2014, TETO data reveals.

The trade balance in 2015 was $9 billion, with Indonesia enjoying a surplus of $2.92 billion.

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