Taipei, October 11 – Yushan Forum 2023 with the theme “Opening a New Plan for Asia’s Development” kicked off in Taipei today. President Tsai Ing-wen delivered the opening speech of the forum which was attended by officials and scholars from various countries, such as former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Nauruan President Joseph Kun, former US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft, and by Japanese MP Nikka Kyoto.
Tsai said in her speech that the Yushan Forum has become an important dialogue platform for the New Southward Policy. Apart from discussing the role of Asia and the Indo-Pacific region in the global economy, the focus is on strengthening intra-regional partnerships.
The New Southbound Policy (NSP) covers trade and investment as well as employment relations with 18 countries that do not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan: These include Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Australia and New Zealand.
The New Southbound Policy has been in place for seven years, and trade between Taiwan and destination countries reached a record $180 billion in 2022.
