Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NEWDELHI2230
2006-03-31 13:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
TAIWAN-INDIA RELATIONS LOOKING UP, BUT TRYING TO
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 002230
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2016
TAGS: PREL PINR ETRD EAIR IN CH TW
SUBJECT: TAIWAN-INDIA RELATIONS LOOKING UP, BUT TRYING TO
AVOID ANNOYING BEIJING (C-AL6-00293)
REF: A. STATE 47515
B. NEW DELHI 1174
NEW DELHI 00002230 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: PolCouns Geoff Pyatt for Reasons 1.4(B, D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 002230
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2016
TAGS: PREL PINR ETRD EAIR IN CH TW
SUBJECT: TAIWAN-INDIA RELATIONS LOOKING UP, BUT TRYING TO
AVOID ANNOYING BEIJING (C-AL6-00293)
REF: A. STATE 47515
B. NEW DELHI 1174
NEW DELHI 00002230 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: PolCouns Geoff Pyatt for Reasons 1.4(B, D)
1. (C/NF) Summary: Indian Government officials maintain that
China has not protested India-Taiwan ties or the
establishment of the Taiwan-India Cooperation Council (TICC).
New Delhi perceives that its economic future lies in the
success of its "Look East" objectives, and Taiwan beckons as
a democratic source of stable high-technology investment for
India and as a parter in trade. End Summary.
ACTIVE DIPLOMATIC INTERACTIONS, BUT NOT AT THE TOP
-------------- --------------
2. (C/NF) MEA Joint Secretary (East Asia) Ashok Kantha told
PolCouns and Poloff on March 28 that business delegations
make up the bulk of the "active" India-Taiwan interactions,
although the Director-General (Asia) of Taiwan's "foreign
ministry" will visit New Delhi in the first week of April.
Kantha will return the visit in late April, he told us, as
part of the ongoing bilateral foreign office consultations.
India is comfortable exchanging visits up to the Vice
Minister level, Kantha said, but will not consider
Ministerial visits to prevent Taiwan from becoming "an
irritant in our relations with China."
CHINA IS COMFORTABLE WITH INDIA'S ENGAGEMENT
--------------
3. (C/NF) Kantha said that China "actively briefs" India
about its relations with Taiwan, and in return New Delhi
takes care to be "transparent" in its dealings with Taipei.
"They seem to appreciate it," Kantha commented, adding that
State Councillor Tang Jiaxuang called on Indian Foreign
Secretary Shyam Saran in mid-March to brief him on China's
SIPDIS
relations in the region, including with Taiwan. Kantha did
not comment directly on Chinese attitudes toward the TICC,
but assured us that China has no objections to India's
current level of engagement with Taiwan.
ECONOMIC LINKS READY TO BLOSSOM
--------------
4. (C/NF) New Delhi is actively encouraging Taiwanese
investment in the information technology sector, Kantha
reported. India sees the amount of Taiwanese investment in
China and would like to draw some of that to Indian
enterprises, boosting India's economy while allowing
Taiwanese investors an opportunity to diversify, he
explained. Taiwan's "Go South" policy of building linkages
to South and Southeast Asia aligns conveniently with New
Delhi's "Look East" policy, which aims to expand India's
strategic and economic ties with Southeast and East Asian
countries, to help balance its consuming focus on Pakistan,
China, and other neighbors (Ref B). Kantha commented that
Taiwanese IT investment in India should be "just the
beginning of the process," but strong growth from the current
USD 2.5 billion in annual bilateral trade "will take some
time." This will be helped by what Kantha described as a
NEW DELHI 00002230 002.2 OF 002
significant upgrading of aviation relations, with Air India
securing fifth freedom rights beyond Taipei.
MULFORD
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2016
TAGS: PREL PINR ETRD EAIR IN CH TW
SUBJECT: TAIWAN-INDIA RELATIONS LOOKING UP, BUT TRYING TO
AVOID ANNOYING BEIJING (C-AL6-00293)
REF: A. STATE 47515
B. NEW DELHI 1174
NEW DELHI 00002230 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: PolCouns Geoff Pyatt for Reasons 1.4(B, D)
1. (C/NF) Summary: Indian Government officials maintain that
China has not protested India-Taiwan ties or the
establishment of the Taiwan-India Cooperation Council (TICC).
New Delhi perceives that its economic future lies in the
success of its "Look East" objectives, and Taiwan beckons as
a democratic source of stable high-technology investment for
India and as a parter in trade. End Summary.
ACTIVE DIPLOMATIC INTERACTIONS, BUT NOT AT THE TOP
-------------- --------------
2. (C/NF) MEA Joint Secretary (East Asia) Ashok Kantha told
PolCouns and Poloff on March 28 that business delegations
make up the bulk of the "active" India-Taiwan interactions,
although the Director-General (Asia) of Taiwan's "foreign
ministry" will visit New Delhi in the first week of April.
Kantha will return the visit in late April, he told us, as
part of the ongoing bilateral foreign office consultations.
India is comfortable exchanging visits up to the Vice
Minister level, Kantha said, but will not consider
Ministerial visits to prevent Taiwan from becoming "an
irritant in our relations with China."
CHINA IS COMFORTABLE WITH INDIA'S ENGAGEMENT
--------------
3. (C/NF) Kantha said that China "actively briefs" India
about its relations with Taiwan, and in return New Delhi
takes care to be "transparent" in its dealings with Taipei.
"They seem to appreciate it," Kantha commented, adding that
State Councillor Tang Jiaxuang called on Indian Foreign
Secretary Shyam Saran in mid-March to brief him on China's
SIPDIS
relations in the region, including with Taiwan. Kantha did
not comment directly on Chinese attitudes toward the TICC,
but assured us that China has no objections to India's
current level of engagement with Taiwan.
ECONOMIC LINKS READY TO BLOSSOM
--------------
4. (C/NF) New Delhi is actively encouraging Taiwanese
investment in the information technology sector, Kantha
reported. India sees the amount of Taiwanese investment in
China and would like to draw some of that to Indian
enterprises, boosting India's economy while allowing
Taiwanese investors an opportunity to diversify, he
explained. Taiwan's "Go South" policy of building linkages
to South and Southeast Asia aligns conveniently with New
Delhi's "Look East" policy, which aims to expand India's
strategic and economic ties with Southeast and East Asian
countries, to help balance its consuming focus on Pakistan,
China, and other neighbors (Ref B). Kantha commented that
Taiwanese IT investment in India should be "just the
beginning of the process," but strong growth from the current
USD 2.5 billion in annual bilateral trade "will take some
time." This will be helped by what Kantha described as a
NEW DELHI 00002230 002.2 OF 002
significant upgrading of aviation relations, with Air India
securing fifth freedom rights beyond Taipei.
MULFORD