With tension escalating between China and Taiwan, India on Friday, for the first time, said it is concerned over developments and called for avoiding unilateral action to change the status quo in the region. Making this appeal, India also favored exercising restraint and underlined the need for efforts to maintain peace and stability in region.
These official comments by External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi came in the backdrop of China launching major military drills around Taiwan as part of its response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent visit to Taiwan.
"Like many other countries, India too is concerned at recent developments," Bagchi said at a media briefing. "We urge exercise of restraint, avoidance of unilateral actions to change status quo, de-escalation of tensions and efforts to maintain peace and stability in region," he said. In response to a question on India's position on one-China principle, Bagchi's said, "India's relevant policies in this are well-known and consistent and do not require reiteration.” China considers Taiwan as its breakaway province. The Taiwanese government alleged that China used the military exercise as a practice to attack country in future.
The US has been steadfast in its outreach to Taiwan in the face of increasing Chinese hostilities and reassuring Taipei of its continued support. India has been promoting ties with Taiwan in areas of trade, investment, tourism, culture, education and people-to-people exchanges.
The volume of bilateral trade has grown nearly six fold from $1.19 billion in 2001 to almost $7.05 billion in 2018 and India ranks as Taiwan's 14th largest export destination and 18th largest source of imports, according to official data.
By end of 2018, around 106 Taiwanese companies were operating in India, with total investment amounting to $1.5 billion in the fields of information and communication technology, medical devices, automobile components, machinery, steel, electronics, construction, engineering and financial services.
The two sides have also set up teams for further expansion of ties in education as well as skill development training.
India does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but both
sides have trade and people-to-people ties. In 1995, New Delhi set up India-Taipei Association (ITA) in Taipei to promote interactions between the two sides and to facilitate business, tourism and cultural exchanges.