Malaysia–Taiwan relations

Malaysia–Taiwan relations

Malaysia
Taiwan

Malaysia–Taiwan relations refers to bilateral foreign relations between Malaysia and Taiwan. The economic and the cultural relations are still maintained with Malaysia has a trade centre office in Taipei,[1] and Taiwan has an economic and cultural centre in Kuala Lumpur.[2]

History

Relations was established on 1960 with Taiwan opened its consulate in Kuala Lumpur on 1964.[3] However, due to the end of diplomatic relations between the two countries on 31 May 1974, both the Consulate Office has been closed down and renamed to "Friendship and Trade Centre" in Taipei and "Economic and Cultural Centre" in Kuala Lumpur.[4]

Economic relations

The total trade between Taiwan and Malaysia has always increased, from $678.3 million in 1985 to $2.10 billion in 1990, and from $5.85 billion in 1995 to $7.26 billion in 1997.[5] The total reached $9.48 billion in 2004, with Malaysian exports worth around $5.4 billion and Taiwanese exports at US$4 billion. In 2012, Malaysia was the 8th largest trading partner for Taiwan with the total trade amounted to $15.2 billion while Taiwan became the 10th largest foreign investor in Malaysia with the total investments worth around $2.0 billion.[3] Most of the trade between the two countries was based on liquefied natural gas (LNGs) and electrical machinery and equipment.[3] Both countries also has made a commitment to explore in other ways especially in oil and gas sector, steel, furniture and other three new sectors such as pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics to enhance their economic co-operation.[6]

Education relations

Around 10,374 Malaysian students studying in Taiwan in 2013, making Malaysia as the largest source of overseas foreign students in Taiwan.[7]

Aid from Taiwan

Aside from the economic relations, Taiwan has provide aid to Malaysia especially in technical assistance.[8] The Taiwanese leader has continuously announced the Southward policy which encouraging Taiwan's enterprises to investing more on Malaysia.[8] During the Taiwanese Vice-President Lien Chan visit to Malaysia in 1998, the country has decided to collect $100 million from all of the Taiwanese enterprises in Malaysia to saved some Malaysian local enterprise which is near to collapsed.[8] The country also provide $100 million to $1 billion to help Malaysia recovered from the impact of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Also during the 1997 Southeast Asian haze, the Taiwanese authorities has donated more than 100,000 respirators to Malaysia.[8]

Early in 2014, Taiwan has joint the search of MH370 where one of the airline passenger was a Taiwanese citizen.[9][10] At the end of the year 2014 when Malaysia suffering a worst floods, Taiwan has sent a number of medical workers and volunteers with supplies and rescue equipment along with a money donation of MYR5,000 (US$1,429) to help Malaysian flood victims.[11]

Taiwanese museum and memorials in Malaysia

There is a Taiwanese museum in West Malaysia such as the Sun Yat-sen Museum and several other Taiwanese memorial in the area of East Malaysia such as the Cho Huan Lai Memorial and Sandakan Massacre Memorial.

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ "Official Website of Malaysian Friendship and Trade Centre, Taipei". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  2. ↑ "Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia". Taiwan Embassy. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "MFTC's Profile". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  4. ↑ "Organisations". Taiwan Embassy. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  5. ↑ Stephen Leong (23–24 October 2006). "MALAYSIA-TAIWAN RELATIONS: POLITICAL IMPERATIVES PREVAILING" (PDF). Cross-Straits Relations Center : Shanghai Institute for International Studies. Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. p. 2. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  6. ↑ "Malaysia, Taiwan to enhance bilateral economic relations". Bernama. The Borneo Post. 10 December 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  7. ↑ "Malaysia declared No. 1 source of foreign students". CNA. The China Post. 24 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Wei-Chin Lee (2000). Taiwan in Perspective. BRILL. pp. 144–. ISBN 90-04-11849-7.
  9. ↑ "Taiwanese fishing boats to join search for missing flight MH370". The China Post. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  10. ↑ Joseph Yeh (12 March 2014). "Taiwan sends second aircraft to aid in search for flight MH370". The China Post. AsiaOne. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  11. ↑ Kuay Chau-churh; Elizabeth Hsu (30 December 2014). "Taiwanese rescue team enters flood-hit Malaysian areas". Focus Taiwan. Retrieved 30 December 2014.