Tien, Chung-kwang
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
May 19, 2023
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Good afternoon! Apa Kabar!
I would like to warmly welcome and thank our friends from Indonesia and Malaysia for participating in the 2023 Taiwan IDIA Program I for Southeast Asian Countries.
I am glad to see the resumption of the Taiwan IDIA program this year. This annual event has brought together many government officials from our neighboring countries, providing with them the opportunity to understand the latest development of Taiwan. I congratulate everyone on successfully completing the program.
In the past week, you have taken part in four sessions on Taiwan’s foreign policy, New Southbound Policy, economy and high-tech industry. You also have visited Taiwan Orchid Technology Park, Hsinhsu Science Park and Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). I believe it definitely has been an unforgettable week to all of you.
Taiwan, Indonesia and Malaysia are close neighbors, our three countries have long enjoyed robust economic partnership and friendly relations. To further solidify these relations, we launched the New Southbound Policy in 2016. The goal of the policy is to achieve regional prosperity through exchanges between Taiwan and 18 partner countries in fields such as agriculture, trade and investment, culture, education, technology, health, and medical services.
Indonesia and Malaysia are both key partner countries under our New Southbound Policy. Relations between us have grown from strength to strength across a wide range of fields, especially in fields of trade and investment, education, tourism and agriculture.
Taiwan is Indonesia’s 13th-largest as well as Malaysia’s 5th-largest trade partner. Last year, bilateral trade reached 14.46 billion US dollars between Taiwan and Indonesia, 30.54 billion US dollars between Taiwan and Malaysia. Both bilateral trades registered increase of more than 30 percent over the previous year.
Moreover, Taiwan is Indonesia’s 16th-largest source of foreign direct investment and Malaysia’s 11th-largest. Over 2,000 Taiwanese companies operate in Indonesia, and Taiwan is a top destination for Indonesian workers. Roughly 240,000 Indonesians work here, tremendously contributing to Taiwan’s economy and society.
Currently, more than 16,000 youth from Indonesia as well as 12,000 from Malaysia are studying in Taiwan. More than 100,000 Malaysian alumni of Taiwanese universities and colleges have returned to Malaysia, making valuable contribution to their homeland and achieved considerable success in many fields.
Today, Indonesia and Malaysia both belong to priority destinations among Taiwanese traveling to Southeast Asia. In 2019 alone, 560,000 Malaysian tourists visited Taiwan. In addition, more than 290,000 Indonesians currently live in Taiwan. Your culture has clearly enriched the lives of the people of Taiwan.
Agricultural cooperation is also booming. Our government has launched several agricultural initiatives, including the Modern Agriculture Demo Farm in Karawang and the High-Quality Rice Seed Production in South Sulawesi Project. We are confident that such efforts will further deepen and expand relations between Taiwan and Indonesia.
Our agriculture sector also owns rich knowledge and experience with tropical agriculture development. I believe this could be the ideal start point of agricultural cooperation between Taiwan and Malaysia.
Today the world is facing unprecedented challenges. Among these, China’s military provocations have jeopardized peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, and the East China Sea. This has destabilized the Indo-Pacific region and threatened the rules-based international order.
My dear friends, when you return home, please do remember to tell your family, friends and colleagues that Taiwan, just like your country, is a democracy believes the values of freedom, human rights and rule of law. We stands on the front line, guarding against authoritarian expansionism. And we will never cease to stand for what we cherish and believe in.
In closing, please allow me to invite all our distinguished guests to join me in a toast: to the friendship between Taiwan, Indonesia and Malaysia!
Thank you. Terima kasih!