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Taiwan seeks stronger ties with Indonesia
Strong bonds: Taipei Economic Trade Office (TETO) representative to Indonesia John Chen (center) is flanked by Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko, lawmakers from the House of Representatives and Taiwanese businessmen during a cake-cutting ceremony in Jakarta on Monday to commemorate the 108th Double Tenth Day
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trong bonds: Taipei Economic Trade Office (TETO) representative to Indonesia John Chen (center) is flanked by Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko, lawmakers from the House of Representatives and Taiwanese businessmen during a cake-cutting ceremony in Jakarta on Monday to commemorate the 108th Double Tenth Day. (Courtesy of TETO/via JP)
Taiwan aims to strengthen its ties with Indonesia as part of its New Southbound Policy that focuses on mutually beneficial cooperation with Indonesia and 17 other countries in ASEAN and South Asia and Australasia, a high-ranking trade representative has said.
Close economic relations between Indonesia and Taiwan can be vividly seen in Indonesians’ daily life. Think about popular beverage brands like Chatime, Koi, CoCo, Xin Fu Tang and Tiger Sugar frequently seen in malls or in the hands of Indonesian consumers. Or think about gadget brands like Asus or Acer, which command large market shares in Indonesia.
During a celebration of Double Tenth Day hosted by the Taipei Economic and Trade Office (TETO) in Jakarta on Tuesday, TETO chairman John Chen was elected to speak about achievements Taiwan accomplished together with the 18 countries of its New Southbound Policy, especially Indonesia.
Chen said the ties between Taiwan and Indonesia had been further advanced through investments of Taiwanese firms in Indonesia. Currently, he said, more than 2,000 Taiwanese firms were operating in Indonesia, providing millions of jobs.
In addition, according to him, interaction and exchange between Taiwan and Indonesia are growing thanks to the "people-oriented spirit" of the New Southbound Policy.
Around 300,000 Indonesians working, studying and living in Taiwan prove its attractiveness to migrant workers, who choose Taiwan not only for higher salaries but also because of the friendliness of the people, not to mention the health insurance and welfare Taiwan provides.
In the education sector, cooperation has been going well, as reflected in the fact that around 12,000 Indonesians are studying in Taiwan.
“Various scholarships and training programs we provide are in line with the policy priority in human capital development advocated by President [Joko "Jokowi" Widodo],” Chen said in his speech, in which he also highlighted humanitarian cooperation.
“Taiwan always shows its solidarity with the Indonesian people and brings them love and care whenever major disasters strike,” he said, noting Taiwan’s involvement in recovery efforts in Lombok, Central Sulawesi, and the Sunda Strait following earthquakes and tsunamis last year.
Taiwan has donated more than US$2.86 million for stress relief and recovery in those areas.
“Taiwan and Indonesia have also engaged in close cooperation in various fields, such as agricultural modernization, dengue fever prevention, land mapping and so on,” Chen added.
Taiwan has recorded macroeconomic achievements of global recognition.
In the World Competitiveness Report 2018, the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked Taiwan as the world's No. 1 in terms of macroeconomic stability and is recognized as one of the top four super innovators together with Germany, the United States and Switzerland.
The ongoing US-China trade war has prompted many Taiwanese firms to relocate production facilities from Mainland China back to Taiwan, Chen said.
“From January to last month, 146 relocation projects were approved to be invested in Taiwan, reaching US$20 billion and providing more than 53,000 job opportunities.”
Chen said that, despite all the challenges, Taiwan insisted on upholding the universal values of democracy and freedom. One way was to participate in international organizations, such as the WHO, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), INTERPOL and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
“Taiwan has played a responsible and active role in the international community for a long time,” he said. “Taiwan's soft power, such as smart innovation, agriculture, health care, education and environmental protection, will continue to make concrete and meaningful contributions as a global partner.”
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.
