Though there has been a lack of political enthusiasm, the common threat of irking China and structural issues that have acted as obstacles for blossoming Indo-Taiwanese relations, Taiwan has engaged silently diplomatically in India. PM Narendra Modi and President Tsai Ing-wen, have engaged in furthering the bilateral relationship.

Contextualising the Indo-Taiwanese Relationship

The Indo-Taiwanese relations were almost non-existent for more than four decades after the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was recognised by India. Marking the beginning of their ‘unofficial’ ties,  in 1992, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) set up a liaison office in Mumbai and, in 1995, India opened its representative office in Taipei and named it the India-Taipei Association (ITA) for economic engagement. In a month, Taiwan opened its office in New Delhi and called it the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC). Now, the TECC offices are operational in Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai. Although they were not formal diplomatic missions, they do function as de-facto representatives of their respective governments and carry out activities like issuing of visas, carrying out trade and economic relations and facilitating people-to-people contacts. This was the beginning of bettering bilateral relations between India and Taiwan in the sphere of trade and commerce, development and research, science and technology, education, people-to-people contacts, and other related fields and thus, in the post Cold-War period, this marked an important watershed moment in the history of Indo-Taiwanese relationship. This was a pointer towards India’s ‘Look East Policy’, enunciated by the then Prime Minister, Narasimha Rao and was a marker of Taiwan’s pragmatic diplomacy.

Taiwan’s ‘pragmatic diplomacy’ is also known as ‘flexible diplomacy’ and ‘substantive diplomacy’ and focuses on enhancing its international profile and facilitating its external engagements by using ‘unofficial’ and ‘non-diplomatic’ channels in the broader economic and cultural arenas, without attempting conventional state-to-state diplomacy, so as not to invite ire from the PRC. New Delhi, in this context, has emerged as a significant factor for Taiwan’s substantive diplomatic practices. Given their shared concerns vis-à-vis China and the commonality of their democratic values, especially during the current strategic uncertainty, this seems like the perfect ripe moment to enhance relations between the two.

In 2014, Taiwan’s representative to India had attended PM Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, and in 2016, India carefully well thought-out sending a representative to President Tsai’s inauguration but eventually decided against it. Most countries, including India, have found it challenging to balance the political and strategic implications of fostering closer relations with Taiwan due to the uncertainty of China’s reaction, leading to a complex diplomatic maze. In this context, Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy (NSP) under Tsai Ing-wen seeks to expand links with countries across South and Southeast Asia with a great emphasis on building economic, investment and people-to-people ties, as well as a greater focus on India especially while New Delhi “acts east”. Given the swaying relationship between India and Mainland China, it is practical for India to shift towards greater stress on soft balancing by cultivating a fruitful relationship with Taiwan. The Indian government’s ‘Act East Policy’ provides for greater engagement between India and Southeast Asia, making Taiwan important for India’s future economic growth.

In terms of increasing economic and commercial engagement, the TECC and the ITA formalized an MoU in 2017 on the “Promotion of Industry Collaboration”, preceded by twenty-one MoUs signed earlier that year by Taiwan’s Chinese National Federation of Industries and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. In 2018, the first India-Taiwan Trade Forum was convened in Taipei with the Taipei World Trade Center inaugurating its New Delhi office in conjunction with the debut of the Taiwan Expo (a business exposition) in South Asia over the summer of 2018 with New Delhi serving as its inaugural venue. Despite all these developments on the economic front, there have been domestic and structural problems in formalising the relationship, especially due to New Delhi’s position on acknowledging the ‘One-China policy’. New Delhi has overall remained ambiguous on the matter and the investment and trade have remained relatively modest but there have been efforts to increase investment by Taiwanese firms in India and notable joint initiatives and manufacturing clusters have been proposed under the ‘Make in India’ campaign.

Upgrading the Relationship: QUAD Angle

The need of the hour for India is focusing on a practical and long term pragmatic approach for fomenting better ties with Taiwan. We have to strategically balance the ‘One-China policy’ of Mainland China (based on one country, two systems model) and cultivating a beneficial and normal relationship with Taipei. New Delhi should not use Taiwan as a pressure point or Achilles Heel against the PRC as this hampers India’s goals and Taiwan’s development. The focal point for bettering the Indo-Taiwanese relationship should be based on enhancing people-to-people, cultural and business exchanges rather than focusing on the government-to-government gimmicks. Education, tourism and technological innovations can leverage the relationship. India should actively engage with Taiwanese NGOs to create an impact over the coming years and focus on roping in an international networking capacity. Small and medium-sized enterprises too can act as significant job creation initiatives and serve as great vehicles to exchange knowledge and human capital. Taiwan can also help in meeting India’s agricultural modernisation needs and its recent support during the pandemic in healthcare facilities is a pointer in the direction of up-gradation of the relationship in a pragmatic understanding. This soft power diplomacy through developmental assistance, cultural, healthcare, academic and tourist exchanges will surely benefit and give a thrust to long term robust India-Taiwan relations.

There have been under-utilised opportunities in the bilateral relationship. New Delhi needs to engage in proper policy approach to benefit most from a healthy relationship with the core area of the Chinese economy. The reshaping of the relationship with Taiwan has not only been a prerogative of New Delhi, the other three members of the QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue): USA, Australia and Japan have also upgraded their relations with Taipei.

Taiwan is significant for the QUAD countries as it is the core area that can be used to deter Chinese aggression due to its strategic location and partnership with the QUAD countries would act as a diplomatic weapon for both parties against the belligerent Dragon’s ever-rising provocations. Moreover, it is an important source of information on China, as evidenced in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the QUAD needs to protect Taiwan from diplomatic isolation and help it develop its military and defensive capabilities while also providing it opportunities for investment in a safe and incentive-based environment in the QUAD so that they can safely relocate their economic and investment ventures from Mainland China without incurring losses.

Conclusion

India needs to act in a strategic manner and shed its inhibitions and self-imposed restraint on engaging with Taiwan. The bilateral relationship is extremely rewarding if managed appropriately by both parties. They have to act more decisively and New Delhi has to formally acknowledge Taiwan as a development partner and the role it can play in steering the direction of Indo-Taiwanese relationship. It is an opportune moment, also thus for the QUAD to recognise Taiwan as a reliable partner and counter China’s growing footprint in South Asia that it wants to establish its hegemony over, through its bellicose and pugnacious ways.

References:

Karackattu, J. T. (2019). The Case for a Pragmatic India-Taiwan Partnership. Carnegie India.

Nagao, S. (2020, August 2). The Quad must strengthen and support Taiwan. Sunday Guardian Live.

Singh, D. T. (2019). The New Southbound Policy and India-Taiwan Relations. Vivekananda International Foundation.

Tien-Sze, F. (2014). Taiwan’s Relations with India: Issues and Trends. China Report.

Times Now Digital. (2020, October 10). Quad and beyond: Is it time for India to take a tougher stance on Tibet and Taiwan?

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The world is facing a severe pandemic which is alleged to be “Made In China”. However, amid a disaster, we see incursions at Ladakh border (LAC) by Chinese troops which projects the objective of Beijing to expand its territory and economy as well, when the whole world is thriving to heal itself from a strike by an “invisible enemy”.

Till now we have seen a series of face-offs near LAC in Ladakh between both the troops. Reports have been mentioning intrusions by the Chinese troops in the Galwan River on the North of Pangong Tso, and perhaps at Hot Springs in Chang Chenmo River (a tributary of the Shyok river), and at Demchok. These Increase in military activities, positioning of helicopters (Chinook Helicopters spotted) along the 3,488 km long LAC have made local villagers as well as citizens of both the sides to speculate something terrifying. We did hear Chinese media putting allegations on New Delhi for blocking People’s Liberation Army (PLAs) patrols whereas, same allegations have been reiterated by Indian media as well as by the spokesperson of MEA Mr Anurag Shrivastava.

Historical Overview:

Amidst 1954, when Panchsheel document was signed proclaiming “Hindi Chini Bhai- Bhai” or one of the principle in the agreement was “mutual respect of each other’s borders” and still the situation worsened when China never walked the talk whereas on the other side it was under this pact where India officially accepted Tibet as China’s integral territory. In 1959 China refuses to accept the MC Mohan Line. 1993 was the year, the then prime minister P.V Narsimha Rao visits China and signs another agreement which was named “Peace And Tranquillity Agreement”. In 2002, both the neighbours signed an agreement to delineate in order to resolve border dispute within a reasonable time frame. Despite having signed number of agreements we had seen a 21 days standoff in Depsang plains in 2013, Doklam standoff in 2017 which was a 70 days long tussle, and now again we have a faceoff near the LAC. So the peaks and valleys betwixt the relations of both nations are distinctly evident.

Autocrat Under Influence :

Well, its crystal clear that President Xi Jinping is directly performing under the coercion of Communist Party Of China (CPC). As the term “China Dream” promoted by President Xi since 2013 which promises to recover and resolve all the territories of China by 2021 does not appear to be accomplished which has brought an immense compulsion over him to convince his performance to the Chinese, moreover CPC. President Xi has been trying to deflect the attention of the citizen of China and pump nationalist notion amongst the people and that’s the reason we see Chinese media, diplomats( who are being termed as wolf warriors, due to their aggressive appearance) even netizens attacking from all the sides.

Other Prospects For Dragon’s Belellicose near Ladakh And Other Corners Of The World:

• The slowing GDP of China and its economy has been descending which plummeted more post COVID-19, though it tried to bring out an opportunity to become an imperium before the world recovers but the descending economy along with disturbances in Hongkong and glaring Taiwan has splashed water over its dreams. India remained the biggest market for China prior to the pandemic but the recent restrictions put forward by the Indian government over FDI rules may turn out as one of the possibilities of China’s retaliation near borders. Anyhow the countries after realizing Beijing’s negligence and non-transparent attitude have started closing their doors for “ Made In China” goods and services. The USA has virtually closed the American market for China, mentioned in its recently released strategic paper on 20th May. Europe is also in bad shape post-pandemic and is not in temper to tolerate China. Chinese themselves have assessed Anti- China global opinions. These circumstances might have made dragon to erase these patterns and put pressure on India and other countries.
• Post Doklam standoff Chinese media has been comparing their equipments, weapons, aircrafts including those being supplied to Pakistan with India. There was an adverse reaction after the Doklam or Dolam crisis when China had two options either to escalate or to back off and it chose the second one. This is still bothering them especially the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
•  After the issuance of India’s new official map depicting POK as our own has also brought the Chinese as well as Islamabad under fury as they have witnessed their finances and hold over the region under threat.
• Speeding up of infrastructure build-up near the Ladakh border (LAC) has brought an inferiority complex within the PLA as they want India to remain on backfoot. Even developing a civilian infrastructure like laying pipelines in Demchok village near Ladakh border (LAC) has also been objected by the Chinese in that area. These situations might have led PLA under CPC to escalate the conditions and intrude in our borders. Conceited China imagines India won’t retaliate after its win in the 1962 Sino-Indo war which was again launched when US and USSR were busy in the Cuban missile crisis. But China must recall 2017 Dolam standoff where it had to step back after Indian army’s staunch resistance. China’s actions are not always rhetoric but it tries to put pressure on the other side and flaunts its growing power over the region. If we analyze its move currently in the South China Sea it has been doing the same by destroying Vietnam’s boat, afterwards representing it as an accident.

Both the countries should respect the agreements signed in the past like Border Defense Cooperation Agreement (BDCA). But on the other side, India’s approach towards China should also be “Resolute On Borders, Reasonable In Diplomacy” which is the accurate move after analyzing the current situation. It’s the duty of our army to stay determined without any unnecessary political interference and simultaneously diplomatic warriors through available channels may play their role behind the scenes. India should also decide its allied partners who are like-minded sharing similar interests must come together against the despotism of a single nation trying to take over the new world order. While for now, India has decided not to back down along the Ladakh border (LAC) protecting the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat-Beg Oldie bridge which once metalled shall provide as access for military mobilization. PM Modi, Ajit Doval (NSA) and Bipin Rawat (CDS) all the three have been tracking the issue keenly and on a priority basis.

Although recently, a Chinese envoy to India Sun Weidong said “Elephant And Dragon Can Dance Together” but still the situation on the ground remains the same and that’s why China, swerving from an uncaring dragon to a dancing dragon is yet treacherous.

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