Tsai Ing-wen has clearly marked the New Southbound Policy of improving business and social linkages between Taiwan and Southeast Asia as a foreign policy priority for her administration, with investment expos and student exchanges playing a central role. While these activities help improve broad linkages between Taiwan and the region, targeting activities that explicitly address development needs in ASEAN will contribute to the policy’s long-term success in fostering a sense of regional community. One potential avenue for this is through prioritizing investment and exchange in the energy sector, which underpins the industrialization, urbanization, and rising living standards that are vital aspects of economic growth throughout the region.
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