Politicians and academics in India have expressed support for closer Taiwan-India ties on the social media platform X, after Beijing issued a strongly worded public statement on the servicec against exchanges between President William Lai (賴清德) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Following the Indian prime minister’s re-election for a third term, Lai on Wednesday congratulated Modi.
“My sincere congratulations to Prime Minister @narendramodi on his election victory,” Lai wrote. “We look forward to enhancing the fast-growing Taiwan-India partnership, expanding our collaboration on trade, technology and other sectors to contribute to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.”
Photo: AFP
In response, Modi on the same day shared a message.
“Thank you @ChingteLai for your warm message. I look forward to closer ties as we work towards mutually beneficial economic and technological partnership,” he wrote.
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning (毛寧) at a daily media briefing on Thursday criticized the exchanges between the two leaders.
“India has made a serious political commitment toward the ‘one China Policy.’ [India] is supposed to resist Taiwan’s political ploys. Because of this, China has requested negotiations with India,” Mao said.
While the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has yet to respond to Beijing’s statement, Indian academics and politicians expressed support over Taiwan and India’s relationship on X, while criticizing China.
“Instead of playing territorial chess with sovereign regions, China should focus on respecting international norms. Taiwan has its own identity. It’s time for Beijing to retire its bully tactics and embrace diplomacy over domination,” Indian lawmaker Sujeet Kumar wrote on Saturday.
Kumar thanked Lai for his message to Modi, adding that he completely supports stronger ties between the two “vibrant democracies.”
Brahma Chellaney, an academic from India’s Center for Policy Research, in an X post shared on Thursday said that following China’s quick protest after Lai’s message, India has concerns over Taiwan’s status, adding that “’closer ties’ should extend beyond the economic realm.”
“China does not recognize Kashmir as part of India,” Jawaharlal Nehru University Professor Anand Ranganathan wrote. “China has usurped 38,000 square kilometers of Kashmir. China supports Pakistan on Kashmir. Despite this, India refuses to have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. India does not even recognize Taiwan as a country. Time has come to correct this.”
Indian news media such as Press Trust of India, World Is One News, the Hindustan Times and the Indian Express reported on Beijing’s reaction to Lai-Modi interaction on social media.
Meanwhile, India’s Asian News International reported on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ response on X over China’s reaction.
Beijing’s demeanor to a “cordial exchange” between leaders of two democracies was unjustified, it said, adding that threats and intimidation are never ways to fostering friendships.
Taiwan is committed to building partnerships with India “underpinned by mutual benefit and shared values,” it said.
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
RSS