The Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) held the "6th Anniversary Celebration and 'New Southbound, New Vision” Forum today at the Far Eastern Shangri-La in Taipei. President Lai Ching-te sent his congratulations via a special message, while Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lin Chia-lung, attended in person, along with representatives from the New Southbound Policy partner countries and like-minded nations, think tank and NGO leaders, and industry representatives to discuss the future development of Taiwan's New Southbound Policy (NSP) under President Lai's "Comprehensive Diplomacy."
In his opening speech, Chairman Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao of the TAEF emphasized that the NSP "is undoubtedly beneficial to Taiwanese society, conducive to our nation's survival, and contributory to regional development." Chairman Hsiao expressed his hope that the new government would continue the policy and promote an enhanced version, the "New Southbound Plus." He also noted that the TAEF would remain committed to its roles as a think tank, actively cultivating the New Southbound Think Tank Corridor, the New Southbound NGO Corridor, and the New Southbound Youth Corridor.
President Lai Ching-te also sent a congratulatory message to the TAEF. In his message, President Lai acknowledged the TAEF's contributions in expanding Taiwan's partnerships with Asian countries and hoped that the TAEF would continue to uphold its founding vision to establish dialogue platforms, deepen diverse partnerships, and enhance regional cooperation, contributing to the blueprint for sustainable national development.
Minister Lin stated that the TAEF supports the New Southbound Policy, emphasizing "people-centered" soft power diplomacy. He pointed out that this policy embodies the spirit of "Taiwan Can Help, Taiwan Can Lead," establishing an important bridge and hub between the world and New Southbound Policy countries. Minister Lin also shared President Lai Ching-te’s three pillars of "comprehensive diplomacy": Democracy, Peace, and Prosperity, urging government departments and partners to continue promoting value diplomacy. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of cooperation in the digital technology sector in the digital age and MOFA’s commitment to the continuous promotion of the "South-South Corridor" plan, so as to strengthen Taiwan's connections with diplomatic allies and like-minded countries, further enhancing Taiwan's influence regionally and internationally.
Additionally, former President Tsai Ing-wen sent her congratulations via a pre-recorded video. Tsai lauded the TAEF's role as an "important bridge" between Taiwan and Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Australia and New Zealand, as well as its contribution in organizing the Yushan Forum, which is a significant milestone of the NSP. Tsai hoped that the TAEF would continue to complement the government in promoting cooperation between Taiwan and more like-minded countries, "jointly contributing to global peace, stability, and prosperity."
The event then proceeded to the "New Southbound, New Vision" Forum, divided into two sessions. The first session, moderated by Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao, featured panelists including Deputy Chief Negotiator of the Office of Trade Negotiations Yen Hui-hsin, Director-General of the National Fire Agency Hsiao Huan-chang, and CEO of Talent Taiwan Liao Bing-kun, discussing inter-ministerial cooperation and the development of the New Southbound Corridor blueprint.
The second session, moderated by Chairwoman of Radio Taiwan International, Lai Hsiu-ju, featured TAEF Executive Director Yang Hao, Taiwan Plus CEO Yu Chia-chang, and Secretary-General of Taiwan AID Lee Shang-lin, sharing the experience of the Asia Engagement Consortium (AEC) and promoting cultural exchange and youth cooperation between Taiwan and New Southbound countries.
Another highlight of the event was the Asia Engagement Consortium (AEC) new member signing ceremony. The AEC, initiated by TAEF in 2018, is an interdisciplinary alliance of think-tanks and NGOs. With honor, the AEC welcomes two new member institutions to join the alliance, which are the Advanced Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences at National Chung Hsing University, represented by Director Tsai Tung-chieh; and the National Symphony Orchestra, represented by CEO Kuo Wen-tsen. It is envisioned that the additions would propel diverse partnerships in Asia and promote the development of the NSP cooperation networks through more concrete cooperation.
Congratulatory Video：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8o6EzqfQJQ
TAEF 6th Year Recap Video：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0gOczWFen4
