Since 2016, the Taiwanese government had been actively promoting the New Southbound Policy (NSP) to revitalize partnerships between Taiwan and neighboring countries as well as countries with similar ideals. In particular, the past two years saw the government’s active promotion of community consciousness between Taiwan and its neighboring countries by linking the regional integration and social development of Southeast Asia, South Asia, New Zealand and Australia through the NSP’s flagship programs and through civil society.
This year, in the areas of economic cooperation and investment, the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Bureau of Foreign Trade commissioned the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) to organize the Taiwan Expo in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and India; held the "Taiwan Excellence Happy Run" in Jakarta, Indonesia, and sponsored the Vietnam Marathon in Ho Chi Minh City. These local exhibitions of the New Southbound Policy has helped to revitalize the exchange and development of Taiwanese businessmen in Southeast Asia, while at the same time gaining a lot of recognition for itself.
The Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) said that the NSP’s "people-centered" approach is not just an “empty talk” initiative, but a reflection of how Taiwan responds to the community environment in which it operates, through specific action plans that benefit both the region and the people.
In recent years, with the joint efforts of the government and the private sector, Taiwan and its neighboring countries have gradually developed new partnerships in the areas of economy, trade and investment. These initiatives not only promote Taiwan's quality goods, flexible industrial and commercial links to Southeast and South Asia, but also, more importantly, enable Taiwan to make more international friends and effectively enhance its international image by sharing various stories about Taiwan's warm power.