In a message to Beijing, India for the first time conferred one of its highest civilian awards upon a person from Taiwan on Thursday.
Liu Young-way, the CEO of Foxconn, the world’s biggest maker of electronic components headquartered in Taipei, was chosen for the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour.
Liu, 66, will be presented with the award by the country’s president at a ceremony later this year. A total of 132 winners in various Padma categories were announced on the eve of India’s Republic Day.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the awardees, saying that India “cherishes their contribution across diverse sectors”.
The recognition comes at time when Modi has been trying to attract foreign investors and portray his country as Asia’s next manufacturing hub amid efforts by the US and its allies to move supply chains away from China.
Liu visited New Delhi and met with Modi last March. A statement by Foxconn at the time said the company would “continue to build an ecosystem in India which would allow all our stakeholders to share, collaborate and thrive”.
The company said recently that it planned to build a chip packaging and testing plant in India with HCL Group, a local tech firm.
In November, Foxconn – a leading supplier for American tech titan Apple – announced investments in India worth US$1.6 billion to diversify away from China.
Foxconn’s Zhengzhou iPhone plant ramps up hiring for peak season
Foxconn’s Zhengzhou iPhone plant ramps up hiring for peak season
The company began manufacturing the Apple iPhone XR at its factory in India in 2019. By 2023, it had started producing iPhone 14s there.
Meanwhile, New Delhi has encouraged the island’s top semiconductor firm, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), to establish a fabrication plant in India.
In a sign of deepening unofficial ties, trade between India and Taiwan surged from just over US$1 billion in 2001 to US$7 billion in 2021.
Last July, a third Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre, a de facto consulate for Taiwan, opened in Mumbai.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including India, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state.
