India has reiterated that its position on Taiwan remains unchanged, pushing back against Chinese claims that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar acknowledged Taiwan as part of China during talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, said sources. India will continue economic, technological, and cultural cooperation with Taiwan, dismissing the Chinese foreign ministry's readout as misrepresentation, it added. The response came after Beijing issued a Mandarin-only readout following Monday’s meeting between Jaishankar and Wang Yi in New Delhi, falsely quoting Jaishankar as saying, “Taiwan is a part of China.”
“There is no change in our position on Taiwan,” said sources. “We, like much of the world, have ongoing economic, technology, and cultural ties with Taiwan, and we intend to continue that,” the source added. The alleged misquote by the Chinese side, which was absent from any English-language statement, has already been widely reported by Chinese state media.
India distance from ‘one-China’ since 2011
Beijing has long urged New Delhi to reiterate the “one-China” policy, under which Taiwan is considered an inseparable part of Chinese territory. However, sources pointed out that India has avoided making any official mention of the “one-China” policy since 2011.
Despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations, India and Taiwan have maintained active ties since the establishment of representative offices in each other’s capitals in 1995. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) has offices in New Delhi, Chennai, and Mumbai, while India operates the India-Taipei Association (ITA) in Taipei.
In 2023, bilateral trade reached $8.2 billion, with Taiwan exporting $6 billion worth of goods to India. Taiwan ranked as India’s 16th largest trading partner, and India was Taiwan’s 12th largest export destination.
Taiwan’s role in India’s tech manufacturing vision
India views Taiwan as crucial to its ambitions to emerge as a semiconductor and electronics manufacturing hub. Major Taiwanese companies like Foxconn are deeply involved in iPhone manufacturing in India. The Tata Group’s joint project with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (PSMC) to build a semiconductor plant in Gujarat underscores the strategic economic link between the two nations.
In June 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded publicly to a congratulatory message from Taiwan President Lai Ching-te after securing his third term, stating he looked forward to a “mutually beneficial economic and technological partnership.” The latest developments unfolded during Wang Yi’s high-level visit to India for border talks under the Special Representatives mechanism with EAM Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. This marks the first Chinese ministerial visit since the October 2024 disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Wang’s visit also comes just weeks ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s expected attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China.
