TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Labor Minister, Hsu Ming-chun, apologized on Tuesday (March 5) for ambiguities in her recent comments concerning a memorandum of understanding for labor cooperation between Taiwan and India.
Hsu responded to an interview last Thursday, describing "residents of northeastern India as being culturally and physically similar to Taiwanese," which sparked controversy.
During a legislative overview at the Legislative Yuan, she clarified, "I did not mean to discriminate in any way. I was affirming the quality and performance of the Indian workers. Perhaps it was because my remarks were not precise enough, leading to misunderstandings. I will reflect on that."
Aiming to set foundations for alleviating Taiwan’s labor shortages, the Ministry of Labor also issued a clarification expressing hopes that the public can understand the advantages of having Indian labor forces in Taiwan.
Taiwan and India concluded the memorandum of understanding signing process on Feb. 16. The two sides will follow up on discussing the number of workers, the actual industries they are needed for, and the recruitment qualifications and methods.