Remarks at a reception to celebrate the 77th Republic Day of India

Remarks at a reception to celebrate the 77th Republic Day of India

• Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
• Date：2026-01-26

Baushuan Ger

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs

Republic of China (Taiwan)

January 26, 2026

(As Prepared for Delivery)

The Honorable Ninad Deshpande, Director General of the India-Taipei Association;

Minister without Portfolio and Chief Trade Representative Yang Jen-ni;

Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han;

Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Cynthia Kiang;

Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lin Ching-yi;

Deputy Minister Lee Yen-hui of the Overseas Community Affairs Council;

Distinguished members of the Legislative Yuan;

Excellencies Ambassadors and Honorable Representatives;

Esteemed guests and friends from India;

Ladies and gentlemen:

Namaste and good evening!

On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I am honored to join you as we celebrate the 77th Republic Day of India. I would like to take this opportunity to warmly welcome Director General Deshpande to Taiwan. I am confident that under his leadership and through joint efforts, Taiwan-India relations will continue to go from strength to strength.

As many of you know, India holds a special place in my heart. At my last post, I served as Taiwan's representative to India for nearly five years. To this day, I continue to practice the yoga and meditation that I learned there. And when I crave dal makhani, I delight in enjoying it at the amazing variety of Indian restaurants in Taipei.

In line with Taiwan's Digital New Southbound Policy, MOFA is implementing integrated diplomacy. For both initiatives, India is an important partner. In 2025, bilateral trade reached a record 12.5 billion US dollars. And to date, over 260 Taiwanese companies have invested in India, reflecting a joint determination to advance innovation, supply chain resilience, and sustainable development.

The Taiwan-India friendship is based on shared values and a commitment to peace and prosperity. Last May, Taiwan was among the first countries to publicly voice support as India safeguarded its national security against terrorist attacks in Pahalgam. Likewise, earlier this month, India's Ministry of External Affairs urged restraint, condemned unilateral actions, and called for peaceful resolution of issues in the Indo-Pacific region. Taiwan looks forward to furthering many collaborations with India, including in the domain of security and maritime affairs.

Taiwan and India are also making tremendous strides in culture, education, as well as science and technology, bringing our societies even closer together. In recent years, filmmakers from Taiwan and India have worked together on such productions as Indian 2 and Demon Hunters, reflecting our nations' growing cultural links. In addition, 43 Taiwan Education Centers have been established on university campuses across India to promote Mandarin language learning and educational collaboration. And over 10,000 Indian nationals, including students and professionals, now reside in Taiwan, contributing greatly to our high-tech industries. We welcome these developments and hope that they will lead to ever-more interactions across domains.

In closing, I am confident that our bilateral partnership will only continue to flourish and that the year ahead will bring success after success. I wish India and Taiwan continued prosperity and all of you the best of health and happiness. Dhanyavaad! Thank you!