How Not to Fall in the Racism Trap?

A fresh round of racism on social media is back to the vibrant India-Taiwan cooperation. This time it occurred post the recent update by Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor Hung Sung-han on 9 April 2026. Minister Hung mentioned that by the end of the current year, about 1,000 Indian workers will be hired to be added into the already vibrant overseas workers in Taiwan. Out of these 1,000 workers, 50 will be hired directly by the Taiwan government. This has been possible due to the earlier Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by India and Taiwan in 2024 on Labor force. The recent racist comments followed up from the past which had several objectionable articles showing concerns on having Indian workers in Taipei, and also the comments made by the former labor minister Hsu Ming-chuan which she later apologized for. The racist articles was refuted by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the official X (former Twitter) social media account and which it blamed to disinformation and cognitive warfare originating from PRC.

There has also been a public petition by some citizens on a platform by Taiwan’s National Development Council (NDC) calling for repealing of Indian workers from coming to Taiwan. It garnered over 18,000 votes in less than two days. As per Taiwan law, if the votes reach 5,000 in two months, then the government needs to reply to the issue. In the past, Taiwan based Taiwan Association for India Studies had pointed out several fundamental questions of having Indian workers in Taiwan too and urged the government to address them. The Association had supported the Indian workers in Taiwan and had requested the government to consider the diversity of the workers in terms of their religions, language, food habits and other key details to be considered.

But the recent racist remarks in 2026, brings both India-Taiwan back to square one on discussion of the workers. It calls for a deeper understanding of each other. In my own personal experiences in India, I have been warned by some of my well-wishers not to travel to Taiwan as China can attack anytime and war is looming. Their concerns arise from the several news media and thanks to the growing Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated content which shows almost realistic war-related videos. Those visuals show how the current disturbances in West Asia, and China’s military actions around Taiwan can lead to a full-scale war in the Taiwan Strait. Similarly, I have been asked numerous questions about safety of individuals in India, caste system, and whether Indians still travel on top of the trains? To me, it is funny on both occasions, but sometimes it gets on your nerves when someone asks the same questions with a racist intent. 

People on both sides need to comprehend the bigger picture here from this agreement. It is a win-win situation for both sides. India with its large young population pool covers the high demand of workers in Taiwan’s society. The gap has occurred due to the declining birth rate in Taiwan, which has officially become a “super-aged society” as per the United Nations criteria that people aged 65 and above accounts for more than 20 percent of the population. With almost a million migrant workers in Taiwan and them being a major part of the society has only added value to the diversity of Taiwan. As per a recent report by Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC), in the first six months of 2025, the existing migrant workers have sent home NT$60.3 billion through remittance companies in Taiwan. And as per another report it is estimated to exceed NT$100 billion this year in 2026 creating business opportunities for Taiwanese as well.

With a growing mutual trade between India and Taiwan standing at US$12.5 billion in 2025, and increasing Taiwanese investments into India and forming partnerships in semiconductor production has only pushed the bilateral relations to a newer chapter. Additionally, India had also conferred Padma Bhusan, India’s third-highest civilian honor to Foxconn (Hon Hai) chairman Young Liu in 2024, which reflected a positive trend in the bilateral cooperation and the increasing cooperation between the two sides.

The Indian community in Taiwan has also contributed to its diversity. One can find numerous Indian food eating options. Students across the universities in Taiwan organize Indian festivals such as Holi, Diwali bringing together not only the Taiwanese but also the other foreign citizens creating a very positive outlook. Furthermore, they have also been involved in high level research by contributing to numerous scientific fields in Taiwan.

Similarly, several Taiwanese have also gone to India to learn several classical dances India have, conducting businesses beyond semiconductors, and notably the presence of Taiwan Education Centers (TECs) across India have boosted the cooperation between them. Also, a bottom to top approach has also been approached through the collaboration between high schools where students from a young age can be seen working together to understand each other. Consequently, it is easy to jump into conclusions with multiple prejudices. Both India and Taiwan leaders and people need to work together not only to identify and detest such distasteful narratives which are being peddled but also to bring the relationship much closer by exploring and working on different themes.

(Featured photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels)