Tracing Black Tea Connects Exchanges: Taiwan and India's Assam Deepen Ties

The delegation from the Taiwan Representative Office in India visited Assam in northeastern India this week. Chen Mu-min delivered a speech at Assam Don Bosco University, while Lai Pi-chi, head of the Education Division of the Taiwan Representative Office in India, signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the university. Chen Mu-min gave a special lecture titled 'Taiwan-India Relations: Achievements, Challenges, and Prospects' to hundreds of faculty and students. Chen Mu-min pointed out that Taiwan and India have a long history of exchanges in various aspects, such as 'Life of Pi,' a film about an Indian boy drifting at sea, directed by Taiwanese director Ang Lee; and the TV series 'Gold Leaf,' which tells the story of Assam tea being introduced to Taiwan in the 1940s. During his speech, Chen Mu-min shared an interesting historical connection between Taiwan and Assam. He said that what Taiwanese call 'Assam black tea' was actually brought to Taiwan by the Japanese in 1925 for cultivation, so 'Assam black tea' truly originated from Assam. Chen Mu-min also mentioned that Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. and India's Tata Group will invest in chip production in Gujarat, and India's HCL Group and Hon Hai Technology Group will invest in packaging and testing plants in Uttar Pradesh. These are examples of Taiwan's high-tech industries bringing job opportunities to India, pushing Taiwan-India relations to a new high. Chen Mu-min noted that to promote Taiwan and India's collaboration in the high-tech industry, cooperation in quality higher education is essential. Therefore, he encouraged more outstanding Indian students to study semiconductor-related fields in Taiwan. After graduation, they can either work in Taiwan or return to India to contribute their knowledge. Assam Don Bosco University has continuously employed teachers from Taiwan to teach Chinese language for the past six years. The Education Division of the Taiwan Representative Office renewed the MOU with the university this time, aiming to promote academic exchanges and joint research, and also hoping to facilitate mutual exchanges between Taiwanese universities and Assam Don Bosco University students to strengthen cultural and linguistic ties. Additionally, on the 7th, Yang Long-chieh, head of the Science and Technology Division of the Taiwan Representative Office in India, and Secretary Chang Ya-hui accompanied Chen Mu-min to Guwahati in Assam to track the latest developments in Taiwan-India scientific research cooperation. They also met with project leaders of the Taiwan-India bilateral science and technology cooperation program at IIT Guwahati to understand the progress of cooperation and explore priority areas for future collaboration. (Edited by Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150409