Dr. Roy Chun Lee
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
November 22, 2023
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Ladies and gentlemen:
Selamat malam! Good evening!
It is a great honor to attend tonight’s Indonesian Night organized by the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office. On behalf of Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu, as well as the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I would like to extend my gratitude for the invitation and my best wishes to the people and government of the Republic of Indonesia on this joyous occasion.
Since assuming his post in Taipei this January, Representative Iqbal has fostered cooperation in a wide range of fields between Taiwan and Indonesia and has participated in numerous activities. Under the leadership of Representative Iqbal, our bilateral relations will surely grow stronger.
On the economic front, Indonesia is Taiwan’s 13th-largest trading partner. According to the data from International Trade Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs, our bilateral trade in 2022 reached 14.45 billion US dollars, an increase of 31.67 percent over the previous year. In addition, more than 2,000 Taiwanese companies have invested in Indonesia, creating over one million job opportunities there. With the international economy constantly and rapidly changing, we hope to renew the bilateral Promotion and Protection of Investments Agreement as soon as possible. We look forward to working with Representative Iqbal to this end.
In terms of agriculture, Taiwan continues to cooperate with Indonesia to promote joint projects in the agricultural and fisheries sectors. These include the vegetable and fruit marketing project in Karawang, the garlic and shallot project in North Sumatra, and the rice industry development project in South Sulawesi. Furthermore, the program to provide practical training for one year to young Indonesian farmers here is going strong. The third set of 99 young Indonesian farmers have arrived in Taiwan this month. The program has been highly recognized by Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture. In addition, MOFA has resumed the Young Agricultural Ambassadors New Southbound Policy Exchange Program, which was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Twelve young Taiwanese farmers have been chosen to visit agricultural projects in Indonesia and exchange experiences with their counterparts there. This helps increase mutual understanding between the peoples of our two countries.
Taiwan and Indonesia have enjoyed close cooperation in the field of education as well. More than 16,600 Indonesian students are studying in Taiwan, making Indonesia the second-largest source of international students here. This year, MOFA has organized the second New Southbound Policy Elite Study Program, benefiting a total of 70 students from ASEAN countries. They include 29 Indonesian students, who are focusing on areas such as public health, medicine, technology, regional security, and international relations. This project not only provides students with the chance to gain expertise and Mandarin skills but also serves as another important bridge between Taiwan and Indonesia.
In terms of labor affairs, according to statistics from our Ministry of Labor, as of this September, there were over 267,000 Indonesian workers in Taiwan. Over the years, these workers have greatly contributed to Taiwan’s economy and have made Indonesia the largest source of migrant labor here. They have also introduced Indonesian culture and cuisine to us, thereby enriching our society. I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to them.
Indonesia has served as chair of ASEAN in 2023. His Excellency Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia, in his opening remarks at the 43rd ASEAN Summit this September, said that “as a country with an abundance of ethnic groups, cultures, languages, and religions, Indonesia considers unity as harmony in diversity, including differences in opinions. Because differences in opinions enrich democracy.” This spirit is embodied in tonight’s theme—Unity in Diversity.
Both Taiwan and Indonesia are important democracies in the Indo-Pacific region and face challenges with respect to climate change, food security, and supply chain resilience. I am confident that Taiwan and Indonesia will develop even stronger ties on their existing solid relations. I also believe that Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy and Indonesia’s spirit of unity in diversity will allow our countries to cooperate more closely, thereby further deepening our bilateral relations and safeguarding freedom, openness, peace, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
In closing, I wish the Republic of Indonesia continued prosperity and our two nations enduring friendship. I hope that our distinguished guests will have a wonderful evening and enjoy good health and success in the years to come.
Thank you! Terima kasih!