AI-16 (June, 2021) — Opportunities in Trade and Commerce between India and Taiwan in the Post-COVID-19 Era

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Opportunities in Trade and Commerce between India and Taiwan in the Post-COVID-19 Era

Debashis Chakraborty (Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Kolkata Campus)

While India launched the Look East Policy in 1991 to deepen the economic cooperation with the East and Southeast Asian partners, greater trade relationship with Taiwan has only been a recent phenomenon. Over 2001-19, India’s exports to Taiwan increased from USD 0.37 billion to 1.64 billion, while the corresponding import figures were USD 0.54 and 4.19 billion respectively. The bilateral trade trends are reported in Figure 1, which indicates that India has witnessed a steadily worsening trade deficit againstTaiwan over the period.

India’s widening trade deficit with Taiwan can be understood considering the bilateral trade composition. While the Indian export basket to Taiwan primarily consists of primary (cotton, ores, minerals) and intermediate (chemicals) products, the import basket is intensive in value-added and technology-oriented products (iron and steel, machinery and equipment). It is argued by recent studies that there exists considerable scope to enhance the bilateral trade flows further. Given the recent geo-political set up, Taiwan has been keen to collaborate with India both on trade and investment fronts. India on the other hand, recently has shown stronger resolve to break from the ‘One China’ policy it strictly adhered to for a long time and expand the economic ties with Taiwan. This evolving perspective became amply clear, when India announced last year that the change in investment rules for FDI……(for fulltext, please download AI-16)

Dr. Debashis Chakraborty is an Associate Professor of Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Kolkata Campus . He can be reached via: debashis@iift.edu

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AI-15 (June, 2021) — The India-Taiwan Imperative for Cybersecurity Cooperation

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The India-Taiwan Imperative for Cybersecurity Cooperation

Sameer Patil (Fellow, International Security Studies Programme, Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations Mumbai, India)

Globally, cyber-attacks are the new normal in geopolitical ambitions and rivalries. Exploiting their adversaries’ dependence on information, communication and digital technologies, states have breached computer networks, stolen sensitive data and proprietary information and disrupted critical infrastructure operations. In many cases, states have used non-state actors as proxies to carry out cyber-attacks. This has blurred the distinction between state and non-state actors, thereby making cyber warfare the most significant new threat to international security. Adversarial states and cyber saboteurs have also capitalized on the opportunity offered by the COVID-19 pandemic to expand their destabilizing activities in cyberspace.

For years, India and Taiwan have been at the receiving end of China’s offensive cyber operations. They face similar threats and cannot tackle them on their own, given these threats’ transnational character. This makes it essential for……(for fulltext, please download AI-15)

Mr. Sameer Patil is a Fellow of International Security Studies Programme, Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations Mumbai, India . He can be reached via twitter: @sameerpatilIND

AI-14 (June, 2021) —Commerce can kickstart India-Taiwan Space Relations

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Commerce can kickstart India-Taiwan Space Relations

Chaitanya Giri (Fellow, Space and Ocean Studies ProgrammeGateway House, Mumbai)

Very rarely do analysts view India-Taiwan relations discounting the pink dragon in the room, the People’s Republic of China. The deficiency of formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan has been the main impediment towards making new overtures towards Taiwan. But the winds of change blowing across global geo- and techno political realms, owing to the Fourth Industrial Age, can potentially open more unique avenues for India-Taiwan co-operation, including the vast panorama of outer space.

India and Taiwan find themselves standing on a similar pedestal when it comes to commercializing their respective space sectors. In May 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration initiated space sector reforms pledging support for the private sector to participate on an equal plinth with the space agency, ISRO, and its sister-concern government-run companies. Secondly, the Indian government has established a new nodal agency, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center……(for fulltext, please download AI-14)

Dr. Chaitanya Giri is a Research Fellow of Space and Ocean Studies Programme of Gateway House, Mumbai.

AI-13 (June, 2021) — Opportunities and Challenges for Taiwan-India Strategic and Security Cooperation under the New Situation

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Opportunities and Challenges for Taiwan-India Strategic and Security Cooperation under the New Situation

Ming-Shih Shen (Institute for National Defense and Security Research(INDSR), Taiwan)

Taiwan and India started to contact each other in mid-1990s, and it had experienced a period of try and error over what could be done by the both sides. At that time, India launched a Look East policy with a gFrom a few year ago, I have proposed many ideas related about Taiwan-India security cooperation, some of them have been put into practice, but some issues still seem to have some hesitates and doubts, making the issue of Taiwan-India security cooperation appear low-key or not the top priority.

In fact, Taiwan-India cooperation began with the establishment of representative offices between two states. From that time on, some cooperation have changed due to factors such as different government’s policy or major international events, such as the 9/11 incident or the US Indo-Pacific strategy.

Of course, the critical factor will be the China. Although there have been stable exchanges in trade and culture between Taiwan and India, but the security cooperation is not increase. Even with the gradual improvement of the QUAD structure of the United States, Japan, India and Australia, and India’s response to the needs of countering China. Because India is not active enough, the exchanges and cooperation between the two sides are still……(for fulltext, please download AI-13)

AI-12 (June, 2021) — Cooperation between Taiwan and India: External Environment, Issues and Format

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Cooperation between Taiwan and India: External Environment, Issues and Format

Arthur S. Ding (Emeritus Professor, Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies, National Chengchi University, Taiwan)

Taiwan and India started to contact each other in mid-1990s, and it had experienced a period of try and error over what could be done by the both sides. At that time, India launched a Look East policy with a goal to engage East and Southeast Asia, while Taiwan experienced a growing trend moving west to China by Taiwanese businessmen. Stability could be maintained along the India-China border.

Nevertheless, thing has changed rapidly in the past decade, and this change is really beyond our imagination. Key factor is Xi Jinping’s ascendency to become China’s top leader, he launched ambitious and aggressive foreign policy in the name of the great rejuvenation of Chinese nationals. His policy, such as ADIZ in East China Sea, BRI, and associated AIIB, and new type of IR between major powers, has been regarded as something to challenge the established power of the……(for fulltext, please download AI-12)

Dr. Arthur S. Ding is an Emeritus Professor, Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies, National Chengchi University, Taiwan. He can be reached via: ding1@nccu.edu.tw

AI-11 (March, 2019) — India-China Naval Competition in the Indian Ocean

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India-China Naval Competition in the Indian Ocean

Abhijit Singh (Head, Maritime Policy Initiative,ORF/Observer Research Foundation, India)

When India’s navy chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba, addressed a press conference in New Delhi on the occasion of Navy Day earlier this month, the spotlight was squarely on emerging naval dynamics in the Indian Ocean. A majority of queries by journalists presented at the interaction concerned India’s moves to combat China’s growing presence in littoral-South Asia.

Admiral Lanba observed that while Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean has indeed expanded significantly, the balance-of-regional power remains very much in India’s favour. With a planned upgrade in inventory, including 56 new ships and submarines, the Indian navy, he observed is demonstrating new resolve to be a net security provider in the Indian Ocean region, committed to combating the spectrum of traditional and non-traditional threats. While PLAN has plans to become a superpower by 2050, he noted, the Indian navy is intent on being a “world-class navy with 200….(for fulltext, please download AI-11)

Dr. Abhijit Singh is a Senior Fellow of Observer Research Foundation, India. He can be reached via: abhijitsingh@orfonline.org

AI-10 (February, 2019) — Implication of 2019 Elections on Indian Foreign Policy

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Implication of 2019 Elections on Indian Foreign Policy

Rajdeep Pakanati (Associate Professor, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, India)

Indian Foreign Policy making and execution, is driven by greater continuityand greater change and the coming elections in 2019 will not have a dramatic impact on the conduct of IFP. To understand the conduct of IFP we need to look at the drivers of IFP and also how it is executed. The conduct of IFP is driven by a significant normative agenda coupled with a pragmatist perspective centered around India’s conflicts with Pakistan, China, and the United States. The normative agenda is seen is clearly seen in the post-Independence context when the non-violent struggle against colonialism greatly influenced India’s stance to propose and pursue the non-aligned movement (NAM). The other area where the normative stance is visible is the pursuit of nuclear weapons and then declaring a ‘no-first use’ doctrine. The pragmatist practices are clearly evident in the pursuit of its national interests when it comes its dealings with Pakistan, China and the United States, which capture the most interest in IFP – policy and practice. The paper will lay out how IFP will show the above-mentioned continuityand greater change in IFP can be discerned by looking closely at the three major relationships of India, vis-à-vis Pakistan, China and the….(for fulltext, please download AI-11)

Dr. Rajdeep Pakanati is an Associate Professor of O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, India. He can be reached via: rpakanati@jgu.edu.in

AI-09 (January, 2019) — Migration Network Connecting South-Southeast Asia: An Evolving Non-traditional Security Threat in Indo-Pacific Region

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Migration Network Connecting South-Southeast Asia: An Evolving Non-traditional Security Threat in Indo-Pacific Region

Debasis Dash (University of Malaya, Malaysia)

Migration is a global phenomenon with over hundreds of millions of people moving across the physical borders, making the cartographic lines demarcating political borders look less relevant and blurred. This trans-border and transnational movement of people have several reasons to it. The phenomenon refers to both voluntary and involuntary movement of people affected by and because of political, social, economic, security and personal reasons. However, irrespective of the type of migration as it happens, there are legitimate security concerns and challenges posed both to the sending and receiving nation-state. While the concerns over the violation of human rights and human dignity remains the core issue, the migration network also provides a fertile ground for both the non-state and state actors to push their devious agenda through the network. Moreover, the flow of migrants irrespective of the ground realities, also creates a favorable condition for human trafficking, slavery, smuggling and development of transnational organized crime networks and growth….(for fulltext, please download AI-09)

AI-08 (January, 2019) — A marriage of mutual interests in Myanmar-China Relations

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A marriage of mutual interests in Myanmar-China Relations

Nehginpao Kipgen (Professor and Executive Director, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, O.P. Jindal Global University)

Historically, Myanmar-China relations are based on five principles of peaceful coexistence, known as Panchsheel: mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and cooperation for mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence.

The bilateral relations are also largely shaped by a shared border of about 2,204 kilometers. Moreover, about 3% of Myanmar’s estimated over 54 million people are Chinese.

The relations between the two nations have largely been cordial and peaceful. In the past couple of years (2017-18), the bilateral relations have been further strengthened by two major issues – the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) and the….(for fulltext, please download AI-08)

Dr. Nehginpao Kipgen is a Professor and Executive Director of Center for Southeast Asian Studies, O.P. Jindal Global University, India. He can be reached via: nkipgen@jgu.edu.in

AI-07 (January, 2019) — The Clash of Giants: A Divided APEC of 2018 and Incoming Regional Economic (Dis)order

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The Clash of Giants:

A Divided APEC of 2018 and Incoming Regional Economic (Dis)order

Chia-Chien Chan (Non-Resident Fellow, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, National Chengchi University, Taiwan)

Established in 1989, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) used to be considered one of the most important forums for leaders in the Pacific Rim to facilitate trade and investment liberalization. Consisting of 21 economies that account for 47% of global trade and 60% of world GDP,1 the APEC is noted for its non-binding, consensus-based, inclusive and voluntary approach to decision-making. It successfully nurtured political commitment to economic cooperation among such a huge and diverse group of members only until 2018, the year before the APEC’s 30th anniversary. For the first time since its inception, the 21 APEC members were unable to issue a joint communiqué this year. As the host country’s leader and chair of the 2018 APEC summit, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill offered his….(for fulltext, please download AI-07)

Dr. Chia-Chien Chang is a Non-Resident Fellow of Center for Southeast Asian Studies, National Chengchi University, Taiwan. He can be reached via: changchiachien@dragon.nchu.edu.tw