Taipei:
Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun apologized on Tuesday for her comments on the planned recruitment of Indian migrant workers, which some have criticized as “racist”, as reported by Central News Agency Taiwan.
Minister Hsu had stated in an interview that the ministry would initially focus on recruiting workers from Northeast India because “their skin color and dietary habits are closer to ours.”
She further stated that “individuals in this region, mainly Christians, are skilled in manufacturing, construction and agriculture, according to assessments by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA),” according to Central News Agency.
During a legislative hearing Tuesday morning, Hsu expressed regret for her “inaccurate” comments, clarifying that Taiwanese labor policies aim for equality, without discrimination, whether for local or foreign workers.
According to the Central News Agency, she emphasized her intention to highlight the capabilities and achievements of Indian workers, distancing herself from discriminatory motives.
Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Chen Kuan-ting strongly condemned Hsu's comments in a video on X, arguing that skin color and race should not be criteria for recruiting migrant workers.
In a statement issued Monday evening, the Ministry of Labor apologized for Hsu's “inaccurate” choice of words, stressing that the comments were not intended to be discriminatory.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also apologized, acknowledging the “not entirely appropriate” stories surrounding the planned recruitment of Indian workers.
The statement said Taiwan has a civil society that embraces diverse viewpoints and includes a wide range of voices.
“Taiwan also fully respects India's diverse and rich culture and cherishes the friendship between the peoples of Taiwan and India. It will make every effort to promote cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between the two countries, with the aim of further improving cooperation and partnership between Taiwan. and India,” it added.
The ministry further expressed hope that the people of Taiwan will support the country's efforts to engage with the world and promote substantive interactions with partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
“The Government of Taiwan also hopes that the people of Taiwan will support the country's efforts to engage with the world, further promote substantive interactions with partners in the Indo-Pacific region, and thereby promote reciprocal and mutually beneficial exchanges strengthen,” the statement said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)