New Southbound Policy

During the Cold War, Taiwan was aligned with a number of countries in the Southeast Asia region in an anti-communist alliance during the Vietnam War.

The original Southbound Policy was created to make Taiwan less dependent on mainland China and to improve Taiwan's cooperation with other countries.{{cite web|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/11/01/2003658346|first1=Yi-hsuan|last1=Lu|first2=Jake|last2=Chung|date=1 November 2016|title=Task force to help promote the 'new southbound policy'|work=Taipei Times|accessdate=1 November 2016|archive-date=1 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101101931/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/11/01/2003658346|url-status=live}} The new policy was officially launched on 5 September 2016.

The 18 countries targeted by the New Southbound Policy are:{{Cite web | title = New Southbound Policy Portal | url = https://nspp.mofa.gov.tw/nsppe/ | accessdate = 20 June 2018 | archive-date = 20 June 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180620101226/https://nspp.mofa.gov.tw/nsppe/ | url-status = live }}

• {{flag|Thailand}}
• {{flag|Indonesia}}
• {{flag|Philippines}}
• {{flag|Malaysia}}
• {{flag|Singapore}}
• {{flag|Brunei}}
• {{flag|Vietnam}}
• {{flag|Myanmar}}
• {{flag|Cambodia}}
• {{flag|Laos}}
• {{flag|India}}
• {{flag|Pakistan}}
• {{flag|Bangladesh}}
• {{flag|Nepal}}
• {{flag|Sri Lanka}}
• {{flag|Bhutan}}
• {{flag|Australia}}
• {{flag|New Zealand}}

In order to support the aims of the New Southbound Policy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs officially established the Indo-Pacific Affairs Section. One focus of the Indo-Pacific section is to forge more cooperative ties with the United States, Australia, and Japan,{{cite web | title = Remarks by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the occasion of accepting Hudson Institute's 2013 Herman Kahn Award | url = https://japan.kantei.go.jp/96_abe/statement/201309/25hudson_e.html | publisher = Cabinet Public Relations Office, Cabinet Secretariat of Japan | date = 25 September 2013 | quote = "It is my belief that Japan and the U.S. together should lead the Indo-Pacific Century to make it one that cherishes freedom, democracy, human rights, and rules-based order, with the TPP as its backbone." | access-date = 11 July 2018 | archive-date = 27 December 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201227124959/https://japan.kantei.go.jp/96_abe/statement/201309/25hudson_e.html | url-status = live }} all of whom have share similar visions for a "free and open Indo-Pacific."{{cite news | title = Foreign ministry opens Indo-Pacific Affairs Section | url = http://english.rti.org.tw/news/?recordId=86079 | publisher = RTI (Radio Taiwan International) | date = 11 May 2018 | access-date = 30 June 2018 | archive-date = 30 June 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180630105437/http://english.rti.org.tw/news/?recordId=86079 | url-status = live }}

The New Southbound Policy is for Taiwan to cooperate with 18 countries in the following aspects:{{cite web | title = The New Southbound Policy and Taiwan's Role in Facilitating Grassroots Connections in the Indo-Pacific Region | url = http://www.pf.org.tw/files/6236/D43EF26E-7BEF-4313-B180-2A3DF45212E0 | publisher = The Prospect Foundation | author = Tan-sun Chen | date = 1 June 2018 | access-date = 12 July 2018 | archive-date = 12 July 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180712183929/http://www.pf.org.tw/files/6236/D43EF26E-7BEF-4313-B180-2A3DF45212E0 | url-status = live }}

• Trade
• Technology
• Agriculture
• Medicine
• Education
• Tourism

{{expand section|date=November 2016}}

• Trade offices will be set up by the Ministry of Economic Affairs in India, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand to assist the local integration of Taiwanese companies
• Interested Taiwanese businesses will be able to access market and investment information of all countries covered under the New Southbound Policy via newly established information services

• The Taiwan Education Center, Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan and universities in Taiwan help execute higher education talents exchange programs, including teaching Taiwanese Mandarin in cooperated countries locally and accept students from cooperated countries to apply for scholarships to study in Taiwan.{{Cite web| title = ﹝重要資訊﹞107年臺灣教育中心設立及聯繫資訊一覽表| url = https://www.fichet.org.tw/tec/?p=5175| language = zh-tw| date = 25 January 2018| access-date = 20 June 2018| archive-date = 20 June 2018| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180620074141/https://www.fichet.org.tw/tec/?p=5175| url-status = live}}{{Cite web | title = 新南向國家境外生提供留學臺灣心得報告，獲獎名單 AWARD NOTIFICATION | url = https://www.fichet.org.tw/?post_type=event&p=16763 | language = zh-tw | date = 15 June 2018 | access-date = 20 June 2018 | archive-date = 20 June 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180620074149/https://www.fichet.org.tw/?post_type=event&p=16763 | url-status = live }}

• Expanding scholarships to students from ASEAN countries up to 60,000 students by 2019.{{cite web|url=http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=248146&ctNode=2182|date=23 September 2016|title=New Southbound Policy centers on people: Tsai|publisher=Taiwan Today|accessdate=1 November 2016|archive-date=1 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101164138/http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=248146&ctNode=2182|url-status=live}}

• In order to improve tourism, especially from Southeast Asian countries, Taiwan has expanded visa-free entry for citizens of the Philippines, Thailand, Russia, and Brunei up until 2021.{{cite news|date=24 July 2020|title=Taiwan to extend visa-free entry for 4 countries next month|work=The Mainichi|url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200724/p2g/00m/0in/109000c|url-status=live|access-date=24 Aug 2020|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726113144/https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200724/p2g/00m/0in/109000c}}

A 2024 US government report noted that human traffickers took advantage of the policy's relaxed visa requirements to "lure Southeast Asian students and tourists to Taiwan and subject them to forced labor and sex trafficking"{{Cite web |last=AIT |date=2024-09-09 |title=2024 Trafficking in Persons Report: Taiwan |url=https://www.ait.org.tw/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report-taiwan/#:~:text=Taiwan%20authorities%20reported%20initiating%20131,303%20alleged%20perpetrators%20in%202022. |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=American Institute in Taiwan |language=en-US}} and a 2025 report by the National Human Rights Commission "found the government did not properly regulate admissions, work-study rules, and internships during the early stages of a New Southbound Policy education-industry collaboration program."{{cite news |last1=Thomson |first1=Jono |title=Taiwan rights body urges action on foreign student exploitation |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6053174 |access-date=24 May 2025 |website=Taiwan News |date=6 March 2025}} Some recommendations that the commission offered to address the situation included "enact new regulations for off-campus internships or improve the current regulations" and "establishing online resources for vulnerable students and better response mechanisms for when abuse occurs." In 2023, a Vietnamese student died while on a work-study program offered under NSP, leading the Control Yuan to censure the Ministry of Education.{{Cite web |date=2024-09-04 |title=Taiwan education ministry censured after Vietnamese intern's death {{!}} Taiwan News {{!}} Sep. 4, 2024 11:10 |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/5930218 |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=taiwannews.com.tw |language=en}} In response, the education ministry said it "ordered universities to conduct reviews to ensure all businesses accepting student interns adhere to health and safety regulations."

The operational budget for the policy implementation is taken from the Presidential Office budget.{{cite web|url=http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201606150021.aspx|first1=Claudia|last1=Liu|first2=S.C.|last2=Chang|date=15 June 2016|title=New Southbound Policy Office to operate on Presidential Office budget|publisher=Focus Taiwan|accessdate=1 November 2016|archive-date=1 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101111622/http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201606150021.aspx|url-status=live}}

The slogan "Taiwan helps Asia, and Asia helps Taiwan” has been promoted by President Tsai.{{cite web |title=President Tsai |url=https://english.president.gov.tw/Page/40 |website=english.president.gov.tw |publisher=Office of the President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) |access-date=4 February 2021 |archive-date=31 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180331104405/https://english.president.gov.tw/Page/40 |url-status=live }}

An analysis of the first year economic performance of the policy by the National Bureau of Asian Research in 2018 found that the "increasing economic ties between Taiwan and Southeast Asia were more visible in outbound investment than in exports."{{cite web |last1=Jung |first1=Gratiana |last2=Tso |first2=Chen-Dong |title=Taiwan's New Southbound Policy: One-Year Economic Performance Review |url=https://www.nbr.org/publication/taiwans-new-southbound-policy-one-year-economic-performance-review |publisher=The National Bureau of Asian Research |access-date=24 May 2025 |date=18 January 2018}} An article by Pasha L. Hsieh in 2019 noted that "although China and Hong Kong still account for almost 40% of Taiwan’s external trade, the ten ASEAN states’ collective share has increased to 15 per cent."{{cite journal |last1=L. Hsieh |first1=Pasha |title=Rethinking non-recognition: Taiwan's new pivot to ASEAN and the one-China policy |journal=Cambridge Review of International Affairs |doi= 10.1080/09557571.2019.1657796 |issn=1474-449X |date=9 September 2019 |volume=33 |issue=2 |page=211 |publisher=Taylor & Francis}} Two think-tank articles, one in 2018 from Brookings and one from Chatham House in 2020, both said that NSP had made progress in meeting its goals.{{cite web |last1=C. Bush |first1=Richard |last2=Marston |first2=Hunter |title=Taiwan's engagement with Southeast Asia is making progress under the New Southbound Policy |url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/taiwans-engagement-with-southeast-asia-is-making-progress-under-the-new-southbound-policy |publisher=Brookings |access-date=24 May 2025 |date=30 July 2018}}{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Kerry |last2=Sageman |first2=Chloe |title=Taiwan's Geopolitical Challenges and Domestic Choices |url=https://www.chathamhouse.org/2019/04/taiwans-geopolitical-challenges-and-domestic-choices/diversifying-partners-new-southbound |publisher=Chatham House |access-date=24 May 2025 |date=17 December 2020}} A 2024 book edited by Suisheng Zhao said the policy did not significantly reduced Taiwan's economic dependence on mainland China as the value of Taiwan's 2021 exports to the mainland and Hong Kong increased 24.8% from 2020 to reach an all-time high of US $188.9 billion.{{Cite book |last=Zhao |first=Suisheng |author-link=Suisheng Zhao |title=The Taiwan Question in Xi Jinping's Era: Beijing's Evolving Taiwan Policy and Taiwan's Internal and External Dynamics |publisher=Routledge |year=2024 |isbn=9781032861661 |editor-last=Zhao |editor-first=Suisheng |editor-link=Suisheng Zhao |location=London and New York |pages= |chapter=Is Beijing's Long Game on Taiwan about to End? Peaceful Unification, Brinksmanship, and Military Takeover |doi=10.4324/9781003521709}}{{Rp|page=14}} Another book edited in 2024 by Gunter Schubert said the growth rates of Taiwan's exports to NSP partner nations from 2021 onwards surpassed those for its other major trading partners (U.S., Japan and China) and the trade volume between the two sides reached a record high of $180.3 billion in 2022.{{cite book |last1=Hsiao |first1=Hsin-Huang Michael |last2=Yang |first2=Alan Hao |editor1-last=Schubert |editor1-first=Gunter |title=Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Taiwan |date=31 December 2024 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781032486154 |page=232 |edition=2nd |chapter=Taiwan's New Southbound Policy}}

• Foreign relations of Taiwan

{{reflist}}

• [http://nspp.mofa.gov.tw/nsppe/ New Southbound Policy Portal]

{{Foreign relations of Taiwan}}

Category:2016 establishments in Taiwan

Category:Foreign relations of Taiwan

Category:Public policy in Taiwan

Category:Presidency of Tsai Ing-wen