Taiwan's policy to engage with India has nothing to do with geopolitical considerations and will not be affected by China's view, chief of Taiwan's main trade promotion body said here today as he pushed for more bilateral investment and cultural exchanges.
Taiwan is a sensitive issue for China, which claims the cash-rich island as its territory and a part of "one China".
James Huang, Chairman of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) said, "India is important to us in terms of trade and investment. We didn't pay enough attention to India in the past."
Asked if Taiwan's growing affinity towards India will irk China, he said, "I can't dictate what Beijing wants to say or how they (China) see things in this part of the world."
Taiwan has developed good solutions for smart cities, he said, adding "Taiwan is the best partner for India in the smart city business."
On the risks of escalating protectionism and a damaging trade conflict between the US and China, Huang said, "You can't shift the entire supply chain system from Asia to the US. It is not possible."