New Southbound Policy

The New Southbound Policy (Chinese: 新南向政策; pinyin: Xīn Nán Xiàng Zhèngcè) is an initiative of the Taiwanese government under President Tsai Ing-wen that aims to enhance cooperation and exchange between Taiwan and 18 countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Australasia.[1][2][3]

James C. F. Huang was appointed the first director of the New Southbound Policy Office.[4]

History

During the Cold War, Taiwan was aligned with a number of countries in the Southeast Asia region in an anti-communist alliance during the Vietnam War.

The original Southbound Policy was created to make Taiwan less dependent on mainland China and to improve Taiwan's cooperation with other countries.[5] The new policy was officially launched on 5 September 2016.[1]

Cooperation countries

The 18 countries targeted by the New Southbound Policy are:[6]

Connection to Free and Open Indo Pacific (FOIP) strategy

In order to support the aims of the New Southbound Policy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs officially established the Indo-Pacific Affairs Section. One focus of the Indo-Pacific section is to forge more cooperative ties with the United States, Australia, and Japan,[7] all of whom have share similar visions for a "free and open Indo-Pacific."[8]

Profiles of cooperating countries

Country 2018 ease of doing business index ranking (out of 190 countries) Currency Time zone Taiwanese business association Visa entry program to Taiwan[9][10]
Thailand 26 Baht (฿) ICT (UTC+07:00) http://ttba.or.th/ 14 days visa-free entry from 1 Aug 2018 to 31 July 2019
Indonesia 72 Rupiah (Rp) Various (UTC+07:00 to UTC+09:00) Online visa application
Philippines 113 Peso (₱) PST (UTC+08:00) 14 days visa-free entry from 1 Aug 2018 to 31 July 2019
Malaysia 24 Ringgit (RM) MST (UTC+08:00) https://www.twcham.org.my/ 30 days visa-free entry
Singapore 2 Singapore dollar SST (UTC+08:00) 30 days visa-free entry
Brunei 56 Brunei dollar BNT (UTC+08:00) 14 days visa-free entry from 1 Aug 2018 to 31 July 2019
Vietnam 68 Đồng (₫) (UTC+07:00) http://ctcvn.vn/ Online visa application
Myanmar 171 Kyat (K), baht (฿) MMT (UTC+06:30) Online visa application
Cambodia 135 Riel, dollar ($), baht (฿) KRAT/ICT (UTC+07:00) Online visa application
Laos 141 Kip (₭), baht (฿) ICT (UTC+07:00) Online visa application
India 100 Indian rupee (₹) IST (UTC+05:30) http://www.taiwan-india.org.tw/zh/home.php Online visa application
Pakistan 122 Pakistani rupee PST (UTC+05:00) General visa
Nepal 105 Nepalese rupee NST (UTC+05:45) Visa application from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India
Bangladesh 177 Taka (৳) BST (UTC+06:00) General visa
Sri Lanka 111 Sri Lankan rupee SLST (UTC+05:30) Visa application from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center
Bhutan 75 Ngultrum (BTN) and Indian rupee (INR) BTT (UTC+06:00) Visa application from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center
Australia 14 Australian dollar Various (UTC+08:00 to UTC+10:30): minor variations from the three basic time zones also exist 90 days visa-free entry until 31 December 2018
New Zealand 1 New Zealand dollar NZST (UTC+12:00): the Chatham Islands have a separate time zone 45 minutes ahead of the rest of New Zealand https://tba.org.nz/ 90 days visa-free entry

Cooperation aspects

The New Southbound Policy is for Taiwan to cooperate with 18 countries in the following aspects:[11]

  • Trade
  • Technology
  • Agriculture
  • Medicine
  • Education
  • Tourism

Implementation measures

Promote economic collaboration

  • Trade offices will be set up by the Ministry of Economic Affairs in India, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand to assist the local integration of Taiwanese companies[1]
  • Interested Taiwanese businesses will be able to access market and investment information of all countries covered under the New Southbound Policy via newly established information services[1]

Conduct talent exchange

Universities in Taiwan Responsible Countries
National Sun Yat-sen University Philippines[14]
National Taiwan University Malaysia[15]
Asia University (Taiwan) Indonesia[16]
Chung Hua University Taiwan Philippines (Adamson University)[17]

Share resources

  • Expanding scholarships to students from ASEAN countries up to 60,000 students by 2019.[18]

Visas for the cooperation countries

  • In order to improve tourism, especially from Southeast Asian countries, Taiwan has expanded visa-free entry for citizens of the Philippines, Thailand, Russia, and Brunei up until 2021.[19]

A 2024 US government report noted that human traffickers took advantage of the policy's relaxed visa requirements to "lure Southeast Asian students and tourists to Taiwan and subject them to forced labor and sex trafficking"[20] and a 2025 report by the National Human Rights Commission "found the government did not properly regulate admissions, work-study rules, and internships during the early stages of a New Southbound Policy education-industry collaboration program."[21] Some recommendations that the commission offered to address the situation included "enact new regulations for off-campus internships or improve the current regulations" and "establishing online resources for vulnerable students and better response mechanisms for when abuse occurs."[21] In 2023, a Vietnamese student died while on a work-study program offered under NSP, leading the Control Yuan to censure the Ministry of Education.[22] In response, the education ministry said it "ordered universities to conduct reviews to ensure all businesses accepting student interns adhere to health and safety regulations."[22]

Budget

The operational budget for the policy implementation is taken from the Presidential Office budget.[23]

Slogans

The slogan "Taiwan helps Asia, and Asia helps Taiwan” has been promoted by President Tsai.[24]

Outcomes

An analysis of the first year economic performance of the policy by the National Bureau of Asian Research in 2018 found that the "increasing economic ties between Taiwan and Southeast Asia were more visible in outbound investment than in exports."[25] An article by Pasha L. Hsieh in 2019 noted that "although China and Hong Kong still account for almost 40% of Taiwan’s external trade, the ten ASEAN states’ collective share has increased to 15 per cent."[26] Two think-tank articles, one in 2018 from Brookings and one from Chatham House in 2020, both said that NSP had made progress in meeting its goals.[27][28] A 2024 book edited by Suisheng Zhao said the policy did not significantly reduced Taiwan's economic dependence on mainland China as the value of Taiwan's 2021 exports to the mainland and Hong Kong increased 24.8% from 2020 to reach an all-time high of US $188.9 billion.[29]: 14  Another book edited in 2024 by Gunter Schubert said the growth rates of Taiwan's exports to NSP partner nations from 2021 onwards surpassed those for its other major trading partners (U.S., Japan and China) and the trade volume between the two sides reached a record high of $180.3 billion in 2022.[30]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Tai, Ya-chen; Low, Y.F. (5 September 2016). "Cabinet launches plan to promote 'New Southbound Policy'". Focus Taiwan. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  2. ^ "'New Southbound Policy' promotion plan launched". Ministry of the Interior Republic of China (Taiwan). 5 September 2016. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  3. ^ Sung, Wen-lung (1 November 2016). "Two-pronged 'southbound' strategy". Taipei Times. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  4. ^ "Warning signals for the 'New Southbound Policy': The China Post". The Straits Times. 12 September 2016. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  5. ^ Lu, Yi-hsuan; Chung, Jake (1 November 2016). "Task force to help promote the 'new southbound policy'". Taipei Times. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  6. ^ "New Southbound Policy Portal". Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Remarks by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the occasion of accepting Hudson Institute's 2013 Herman Kahn Award". Cabinet Public Relations Office, Cabinet Secretariat of Japan. 25 September 2013. Archived from the original on 27 December 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2018. It is my belief that Japan and the U.S. together should lead the Indo-Pacific Century to make it one that cherishes freedom, democracy, human rights, and rules-based order, with the TPP as its backbone.
  8. ^ "Foreign ministry opens Indo-Pacific Affairs Section". RTI (Radio Taiwan International). 11 May 2018. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  9. ^ "我與新南向18國相互簽證待遇" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 領事事務局. 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  10. ^ "MOFA announces one-year extension of 14-day visa-free entry program for Brunei, Philippine, and Thai nationals - New Southbound Policy Portal". The Ministry of Foreign Affair. 12 July 2018. Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  11. ^ Tan-sun Chen (1 June 2018). "The New Southbound Policy and Taiwan's Role in Facilitating Grassroots Connections in the Indo-Pacific Region". The Prospect Foundation. Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  12. ^ "﹝重要資訊﹞107年臺灣教育中心設立及聯繫資訊一覽表" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 25 January 2018. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  13. ^ "新南向國家境外生提供留學臺灣心得報告，獲獎名單 AWARD NOTIFICATION" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 15 June 2018. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  14. ^ "Taiwan Education Center in Philippine". Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  15. ^ "Taiwan Education Center, Malaysia" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  16. ^ "亞大推新南向 獲教部補助居冠" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 聯合新聞網. 9 June 2017. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  17. ^ "一起新南向！中華大學與亞當森大學簽屬雙聯學位合作" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 中央通訊社. 18 June 2018. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  18. ^ "New Southbound Policy centers on people: Tsai". Taiwan Today. 23 September 2016. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  19. ^ "Taiwan to extend visa-free entry for 4 countries next month". The Mainichi. 24 July 2020. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  20. ^ AIT (9 September 2024). "2024 Trafficking in Persons Report: Taiwan". American Institute in Taiwan. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
  21. ^ a b Thomson, Jono (6 March 2025). "Taiwan rights body urges action on foreign student exploitation". Taiwan News. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  22. ^ a b "Taiwan education ministry censured after Vietnamese intern's death | Taiwan News | Sep. 4, 2024 11:10". taiwannews.com.tw. 4 September 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
  23. ^ Liu, Claudia; Chang, S.C. (15 June 2016). "New Southbound Policy Office to operate on Presidential Office budget". Focus Taiwan. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  24. ^ "President Tsai". english.president.gov.tw. Office of the President of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Archived from the original on 31 March 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  25. ^ Jung, Gratiana; Tso, Chen-Dong (18 January 2018). "Taiwan's New Southbound Policy: One-Year Economic Performance Review". The National Bureau of Asian Research. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  26. ^ L. Hsieh, Pasha (9 September 2019). "Rethinking non-recognition: Taiwan's new pivot to ASEAN and the one-China policy". Cambridge Review of International Affairs. 33 (2). Taylor & Francis: 211. doi:10.1080/09557571.2019.1657796. ISSN 1474-449X.
  27. ^ C. Bush, Richard; Marston, Hunter (30 July 2018). "Taiwan's engagement with Southeast Asia is making progress under the New Southbound Policy". Brookings. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  28. ^ Brown, Kerry; Sageman, Chloe (17 December 2020). "Taiwan's Geopolitical Challenges and Domestic Choices". Chatham House. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  29. ^ Zhao, Suisheng (2024). "Is Beijing's Long Game on Taiwan about to End? Peaceful Unification, Brinksmanship, and Military Takeover". In Zhao, Suisheng (ed.). The Taiwan Question in Xi Jinping's Era: Beijing's Evolving Taiwan Policy and Taiwan's Internal and External Dynamics. London and New York: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781003521709. ISBN 9781032861661.
  30. ^ Hsiao, Hsin-Huang Michael; Yang, Alan Hao (31 December 2024). "Taiwan's New Southbound Policy". In Schubert, Gunter (ed.). Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Taiwan (2nd ed.). Routledge. p. 232. ISBN 9781032486154.
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