India on Tuesday denied Beijing’s claim that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had described Taiwan as “a part of China” during his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, asserting that there has been “no change in India’s position” on the matter.
What triggered the clarification of India’s position on Taiwan?
The clarification followed the release of the Chinese foreign ministry’s readout of the Jaishankar-Wang meeting on Monday evening in New Delhi.
According to the translation, Beijing attributed to Jaishankar the following remarks: “The relationship between India and China remains stable, cooperative and forward-looking, which is in line with the interests of both countries. Taiwan is a part of China.”
What did India actually say on Taiwan?
According to New Delhi’s account, the Chinese side raised the issue of Taiwan, to which India responded that its approach remained unchanged. India underscored that, like many other nations, it engages with Taiwan in areas such as economic, technological and cultural cooperation, which will continue.
“The Chinese side raised the issue of Taiwan. The Indian side underlined that there was no change in its position on this issue. It pointed out that, like the rest of the world, India had a relationship with Taiwan that focuses on economic, technological and cultural ties and that this would continue. The Indian side noted that China also cooperates with Taiwan in these very domains,” the press release read.
What is India’s traditional policy on Taiwan?
India endorsed the “One-China” policy in the past, but the phrase has not appeared in any bilateral document since 2011. While New Delhi does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taipei, both sides have steadily built connections over the past three decades.
In 1995, India set up the India–Taipei Association (ITA) in Taiwan to promote trade, tourism and cultural exchanges, while Taiwan opened its Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in Delhi.
Last year, the two sides signed a migration and mobility agreement, paving the way for Indian workers to be employed in diverse sectors on the island.
Trade cooperation has been expanding, with New Delhi particularly interested in Taiwan’s expertise in semiconductors, a sector critical to global supply chains.
Why does Taiwan matter in India–China relations?
Taiwan, a self-ruled island of more than 23 million people, produces nearly 70% of the world’s semiconductors, including the most advanced chips used in smartphones, data centres, defence technology and artificial intelligence.
Beijing, however, continues to pressure countries to refrain from officially recognising Taiwan, urging India repeatedly to reaffirm its commitment to the One-China principle.
Dam on Yarlung Tsangpo River
In talks with Wang, Jaishankar informed MEA that India raised concerns about mega dam construction in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. China’s construction of dams in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which flows into India as the Brahmaputra, has raised concerns over potential ecological disruption and transboundary water security.
New Delhi has consistently sought greater transparency from Beijing on such hydropower projects, emphasising the need for prior information-sharing and cooperative management of shared river systems.
India strongly underlined its concerns over the construction of a dam on the Brahmaputra River and raised the issue of cross-border terrorism with China.
On 8 August, in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said the project was first made public in 1986, and since then, preparations have been underway in China.
He said the government of India has “taken note of reports about commencement of construction of a mega dam project by China on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo (upper reaches of the Brahmaputra) River in Tibet. “
He said the government “carefully monitors” all developments relating to the Brahmaputra River, including China’s plans to develop hydropower projects, and “takes necessary measures to protect our interests, including preventive and corrective measures to safeguard the life and livelihood of Indian citizens residing in the downstream areas”.
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