From Our Correspondant
GUWAHATI: Taiwan wants to provide expertise to teach Indians Chinese language in a massive way. The Ambassador of Taiwan Wen Chyi Ong on Wednesday observed that India with its long border with China and growing bi-lateral trade relations needed to have a sizeable population especially in border areas with capability to speak in Chinese.
The Ambassador was on his first visit to Assam especially to inspect some of the wildlife and nature conservation projects funded by donors from Taiwan and meet officials and chief minister of the state, Tarun Gogoi to explore areas where Taiwan can help for rapid growth.
He commented, “You (India) have robust and growing trade relations with China and a very long border with that country. You should have many Chinese-speaking people. Taiwan can very well help by providing Chinese language teacher for India.”
He also said Taiwan could be an able partner with India in the sectors of promoting education especially vocational and professional education, food processing, agriculture and allied sectors, bamboo processing industry etc.
He said he had told Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi that Taiwan would like to provide technological knowhow and low-cost but efficient technology and machinery to Assam to set up a thriving bamboo based industry here to tap the enormous bamboo resources in the state. He said his country could turn Assam an exporter of fish with the knowhow available with it given that the natural environment in Assam is very conducive for growing fish.
“For young Indians, varsities in Taiwan could be good destinations for pursuing higher education in the sections of engineering, business management, special medical courses and research. The average cost of undertaking study in Taiwan universities will be much less than what is required to undertake similar courses in universities in UK and Australia where many Indian students go,” Ong said.
He said at present 500 India students are pursuing higher studies in different field in Taiwan varsities under with scholarships. “Though there is no scope for increasing the number of scholarships to sponsor Indian students to study in Taiwan, they can come on their own as there is possibility of getting university scholarships later on the basis of their performance in initial semesters,” said the Ambassador who have so far traveled to 23 Indian states during the last three years to explore possible areas where Taiwan can work in partnership with India states.
Donors from Taiwan has so far provided $ 40,000 during the last four years to Aaranyak and Rhino Foundation – through Taiwan Embassy in India to support conservation of various species in Assam. The Ambassador said the NGOs had been doing splendid job and the collaboration would definitely continue, may be in a bigger scale. “The NGOs we have sponsored have done very good job in the conservation of wildlife and nature. WE are very happy and will ask the donors back home to visit Assam to see for themselves the works of these organisations,” Ong said.