To boost bilateral ties with India, Taiwan opens new office in Mumbai

The new mission would provide 'visa services, document authentication, and emergency assistance to business people, tourists, and Taiwanese nationals' in western India

In a significant boost to ties with New Delhi, Taiwan opened the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC) in Mumbai today. It is the third such centre in India, following its representative centres in Delhi (1995) and Chennai (2012).

Addressing the gathering, Taiwan's de facto ambassador to India, Baushuan Ger, said, "Taiwan sees India as a trusted friend and partner. We look forward to working closely with our Indian partners on developing or enhancing many of the industrial sectors mentioned by President Lai."

Since India does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it is through these centres that the latter conducts its diplomatic missions in the country. They act as the de facto consulates in India.

 

Earlier, in a statement released by the Republic of China (Taiwan)’s foreign ministry, it said, “The TECC in Mumbai will help expand mutually beneficial trade and investment opportunities between Taiwan and India.”

Trade ties

The office in Mumbai comes at a time when trade between India and Taiwan has reached new heights. Bilateral trade between the two increased 64 per cent to $8.2 billion between 2016 and 2023.

Addressing the gathering on National Day celebrations in New Delhi on October 8, Ger had highlighted that India is Taiwan's 16th largest trading partner, with 260 Taiwanese companies operating in India, accounting for an investment of $5 billion.

Explaining the rationale behind establishing the third centre in the financial hub of the country, its foreign ministry noted, “Since the TECC in Chennai was set up in 2012, nearly 60 per cent of all Taiwanese businesses investing and opening factories in India have chosen to develop their operations in southern India… TECC in Mumbai is expected to have a similar effect.”

Deepening cooperation

Apart from trade, Taiwan's partnership with India is expanding in diverse areas, such as science, technology, critical supply chains, culture, and the development of Mandarin language skills in India. Earlier, India's Tata Electronics entered into a technology transfer agreement with Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (PSMC), aimed at constructing the country's first 12-inch semiconductor fab in Gujarat.

Additionally, 14,000 Indian students have taken Mandarin courses through 36 Taiwan Education Centres established across universities. Meanwhile, 3,000 Indian students are currently studying in Taiwan, according to a report by Asian Community News.

In an interview with Wion, Ger emphasised that the establishment of the TECC in Mumbai is part of the expansion of Taiwan's presence in India under its new Southbound policy.

China factor

Although India does not maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it has also started avoiding any direct mention of the “One China” policy since 2010, when China started issuing stapled visas to residents of Arunachal Pradesh.

China's ongoing border row with India and its aggressive behaviour towards Taiwan have also brought the latter closer to New Delhi. India, like many other countries, is dependent on Taiwan, particularly for semiconductor trade. Around 90 per cent of the world’s most advanced logic chips and 70 per cent of smartphone chipsets are produced in Taiwan.

In a paper written for Carnegie India, former foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale wrote, “Any sort of conflict in the Taiwan Strait could have a devastating impact on Indian economic and national security interests.”

However, former Indian ambassador to China, Ashok Kantha, delinks the establishment of the TECC with strains in the relationship with China. In an interview with The Hindu, he said that the TECC in Mumbai has its own strong rationale and is not necessarily linked to the current downturn in relations with China. According to him, China largely understands India's pragmatic and transparent Taiwan policy.

With the opening of the new Taiwan office in India, its number of diplomats will increase to 32, with plans for further expansion. According to the statement released by Taiwan's foreign ministry, the new mission will provide ‘visa services, document authentication, and emergency assistance to business people, tourists, and Taiwanese nationals’ in western India.