New Delhi (NVI): Senior Taiwanese diplomat Baushuan Ger has been named as the country’s new representative to India, reports the Taiwan News.
Baushuan has replaced Tien Chung-kwang who has been promoted to the post of deputy foreign minister. Tien, who has served as Taiwan representative to India for more than seven years, will now be replacing Hsu Szu-chien as deputy foreign minister. Hsu is currently serving as deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council (NSC).
“Not only does such an arrangement convey approval for Tien’s performance as Taiwan’s representative to India over the past seven years, but it also suggests that the relationship with India is likely to become one of Taiwan’s most important diplomatic priorities in the future,” Taiwan news website reported yesterday.
Notably, India doesn’t have full and formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, under the “One China policy.” In 1995, Taiwan established the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC) in New Delhi as its government’s representative office in India.
The appointment of a new ambassador to India by Taiwan also comes amid the border stand-off with China. India has been recently upgrading its ties with Taiwan as China has been threatening to attack the country.
China is reportedly eyeing the Dongsha Islands of Taiwan, which are a group of strategically important atolls 310 kms southeast of Hong Kong. Taiwan has deployed its Marine Corps to the islands for training and defence.
The Chinese military has increased its activity around Taiwan recently, prompting a wary Taiwan to step up its military preparedness, including through deployment of assets to prevent Chinese troops from entering by sea.
At such a time, when China has emerged as a threat to the two countries over territorial disputes, the bolstering of India-Taiwan relations can be of strategic importance to the two countries for balancing the power equation in the region.
-RJV/ARK
