The Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India and the India Taipei Association (ITA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on labour cooperation on Friday via video conferencing, Taiwan News has reported.
India-Taiwan relations, while unofficial, have gradually strengthened in recent years, driven by economic, strategic, and cultural factors. Despite not having formal diplomatic ties, India and Taiwan have sought to enhance bilateral trade and investment through various mechanisms. Taiwan’s technological expertise in areas like chipmaking aligns with India’s goals of promoting innovation and digitalisation.
While specifics of the agreement remain undisclosed, it follows extensive negotiations, according to Taiwan News. Talks between Taiwan and India commenced in 2020 but were paused during the pandemic. Negotiations resumed after the pandemic abated, with the deal’s content largely settled by September, the outlet said. The agreement addresses Taiwan’s need for additional Indian workers to alleviate labour shortages across various sectors such as manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and fisheries, the report said.
Taiwan Representative to India, Baushuan Ger, held a productive meeting with Mizoram state Chief Minister Lalduhoma on February 12, focusing on labour mobility, education, and agricultural cooperation. Notably, India has existing labour cooperation and talent mobility pacts with several nations, including Japan, Denmark, the UK, France, and Israel.
This deal comes as the momentum of bilateral economic cooperation has been steadily increasing in recent years. Bilateral trade has crossed USD 7 billion in 2018, a growth of 40% in the two years during 2017 and 2018, according to the ITA. The major items exported to Taiwan include Naphtha, metal and metal products, organic chemicals, and agricultural products. The major items imported from Taiwan are PVC, machinery, organic chemicals, electrical machinery, ICT products and solar cells.
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