Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday said he looks forward to closer ties with Taiwan in a social media post responding directly to President William Lai (賴清德).
Modi thanked Lai, who congratulated him on X his third straight election victory and touted the “fast-growing” India-Taiwan partnership that would contribute to the peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
“I look forward to closer ties as we work towards mutually beneficial economic and technological partnership,” Modi responded.
Photo: EPA-EFE
In a statement on Wednesday, Presidential Office spokesperson Kuo Ya-hui (郭雅慧) said Lai sincerely congratulated the Indian government and people for completing the parliamentary vote through a democratic process.
Lai said he hoped the Indian government led by Modi would push for its policies smoothly and boost prosperity in the country, Kuo said.
As India is one of Taiwan’s important partners and shares its democratic values, their collaboration has been strengthened over the past few years, Kuo added.
Lai hoped the two partners would continue to work closely via economic, technology, education and cultural exchanges to forge closer ties, Kuo said.
The president also wished that based on the existing solid foundation of their relationship, the two countries would make contributions to democracy, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, she said.
India and Taiwan have been forging closer economic ties under Modi, with the two sides planning a labor-supply pact that could see Taiwan hire as many as 100,000 Indian workers.
‘CROWN JEWEL’: Washington ‘can delay and deter’ Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans for Taiwan, but it is ‘a very delicate situation there,’ the secretary of state said US President Donald Trump is opposed to any change to Taiwan’s “status quo” by force or extortion and would maintain that policy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Hugh Hewitt Show host on Wednesday. The US’ policy is to maintain Taiwan’s “status quo” and to oppose any changes in the situation by force or extortion, Rubio said. Hewitt asked Rubio about the significance of Trump earlier this month speaking with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) at the White House, a meeting that Hewitt described as a “big deal.” Asked whether the meeting was an indication of the
‘RELATIVELY STRONG LANGUAGE’: An expert said the state department has not softened its language on China and was ‘probably a little more Taiwan supportive’ China’s latest drills near Taiwan on Monday were “brazen and irresponsible threats,” a US Department of State spokesperson said on Tuesday, while reiterating Washington’s decades-long support of Taipei. “China cannot credibly claim to be a ‘force for stability in a turbulent world’ while issuing brazen and irresponsible threats toward Taiwan,” the unnamed spokesperson said in an e-mailed response to media queries. Washington’s enduring commitment to Taiwan will continue as it has for 45 years and the US “will continue to support Taiwan in the face of China’s military, economic, informational and diplomatic pressure campaign,” the e-mail said. “Alongside our international partners, we firmly
KAOHSIUNG CEREMONY: The contract chipmaker is planning to build 5 fabs in the southern city to gradually expand its 2-nanometer chip capacity Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday confirmed that it plans to hold a ceremony on March 31 to unveil a capacity expansion plan for its most advanced 2-nanometer chips in Kaohsiung, demonstrating its commitment to further investment at home. The ceremony is to be hosted by TSMC cochief operating officer Y.P. Chyn (秦永沛). It did not disclose whether Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and high-ranking government officials would attend the ceremony. More details are to be released next week, it said. The chipmaker’s latest move came after its announcement earlier this month of an additional US$100 billion
Authorities yesterday elaborated on the rules governing Employment Gold Cards after a US cardholder was barred from entering Taiwan for six years after working without a permit during a 2023 visit. American YouTuber LeLe Farley was barred after already being approved for an Employment Gold Card, he said in a video published on his channel on Saturday. Farley, who has more than 420,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, was approved for his Gold Card last month, but was told at a check-in counter at the Los Angeles International Airport that he could not enter Taiwan. That was because he previously participated in two