India and Taiwan: Senior officials familiar with the matter claim that India is establishing stronger economic ties with Taiwan and may even send tens of thousands of laborers there as early as next month, which could enrage China.
Officials, who wished to remain anonymous due to the private nature of the discussions, stated that Taiwan may employ up to 100,000 Indians to work in factories, farms, and hospitals. The individuals said that by as early as December, the two parties hope to sign an employment mobility agreement.
Taiwan requires more laborers due to its aging population, while India’s economy isn’t expanding quickly enough to accommodate the millions of young people who join the workforce there each year. By 2025, it is predicted that older people will make up more than a fifth of the population in Taiwan, turning the country into a “super aged” society.
The employment agreement, however, is probably going to increase geopolitical tensions with China because Beijing claims Taiwan as its own and is against any official exchange with the self-governing island. China shares the Himalayan border with India and is divided from Taiwan by a small body of water. It has also been India’s main import supplier for the previous 20 years.
The “One China Policy,” which acknowledges Taiwan as a part of China, is not being abandoned by India in light of the agreement with the island nation. But rather than restating that stance in official documents, New Delhi has actively promoted an unofficial but active relationship with Taiwan.
According to Arindam Bagchi, a spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the negotiations for the jobs agreement between the two countries are now nearing completion. When Bloomberg News contacted Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor, it stated that it welcomes collaboration with nations that could supply it with laborers but did not specifically comment on the India deal.
According to those with knowledge of the discussions, a system for verifying the health of Indian laborers who are open to relocating to Taiwan is still being developed.
The government of Taiwan, where the unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest point since 2000, depends on workers to maintain the $790 billion economy. Unlike other countries with which New Delhi has reached agreements, Taiwan is providing insurance policies and pay parity with locals to entice Indian workers, according to the people.
The Indian government is pushing employment agreements with developed nations that are dealing with aging labor forces. India surpassed China this year to become the most populous nation in the world.
The people said that the Indian government is currently in talks to sign similar agreements with the Netherlands, Greece, Denmark, and Switzerland, in addition to having signed agreements with 13 other countries thus far, including Japan, France, and the United Kingdom.
Following their worst-ever border skirmish in forty years in 2020, India and China have strained relations ever since. Since then, both nations have sent tanks, artillery, and thousands of soldiers to the Himalayan region. Since China released a new map in August that claimed some territories under Indian control, diplomatic talks have not progressed much.
Beijing objected to the three former Indian military chiefs’ visit to Taiwan this year for a security conference after they resigned from their positions last year. In 2018, a deal to promote investment was also signed between Taiwan and India.
