On Wednesday, June 5th, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media to directly respond to the newly elected President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Lai Ching-te. Modi expressed his anticipation in establishing a closer relationship with Taiwan.
In his post on social media platform X, Lai Ching-te congratulated Modi on winning the election for the third consecutive time. Lai Ching-te wrote, “We look forward to strengthening the fast-growing Taiwan-India partnership, expanding our cooperation in trade, technology, and other areas, and contributing to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Subsequently, Modi posted thanking Lai Ching-te for his “warm” congratulations and wrote, “I look forward to building a closer relationship as we work towards establishing a mutually beneficial economic and technological partnership.”
During his third term as Prime Minister, Modi faces many new challenges, including how to handle the tense relationship with Beijing.
The Chinese Communist Party opposes any contact with Taiwan by other countries and claims Lai Ching-te is a separatist who could lead the Taiwan Strait to war. Recently, after Lai Ching-te’s inauguration as president, the Chinese military conducted large-scale military exercises around Taiwan.
Lai Ching-te urged China to stop its verbal assaults and military intimidation against Taiwan and work together to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, ensuring the global fear of war is kept at bay. He emphasized that only through democracy and freedom can people be truly protected.
Since the border clashes in 2020, relations between China and India have been strained. Meanwhile, under Modi’s leadership, India has bolstered its economic ties with Taiwan. The India-Taiwan project has reached a labor supply agreement, with Taiwan potentially hiring up to 100,000 Indian workers to alleviate the labor shortages faced in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, and agriculture.
Taiwanese officials have stated that enterprises owned by Taiwanese businessmen with factories or operations in India are expected to be among the first in the manufacturing industry to hire Indian migrant workers.
In recent years, Taiwan and India have deepened their technological cooperation in the semiconductor field. India is also among the key target countries of Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy.
Analysts point out that Taiwan possesses a well-established industrial chain and mature semiconductor manufacturing technology, while India focuses on chip and software design. Collaboration between the two can enhance the security and flexibility of the supply chain.