"Indonesian students and workers studying and working in Taiwan serve as a bridge for communication and cultural exchanges between Indonesia and Taiwan," Chen noted after the Taiwan Night event in Jakarta, Wednesday night (Aug 30).
She added that the presence of Indonesians in Taiwan has helped to strengthen bilateral cooperation and has also resulted in several mixed marriages among the second generation between the two communities.
Chen noted that although Taiwan is geographically a small island, with a population of some 23 million, its relations and cooperation with Indonesia are growing deeper and are expected to expand in other fields.
Currently, the number of Indonesian students studying in Taiwan reaches 4,394, comprising 2,745 taking up undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degrees; 227 participating in student exchange programs; and 1,442 students studying Mandarin.
Indonesia ranks third among countries sending students to study in Taiwan, after Malaysia and Japan.
Meanwhile, the number of Indonesian workers in Taiwan reaches some 250 thousand comprising mostly those employed in the domestic sector or as caregivers, with a monthly salary of NT$17.5 thousand. Moreover, some 30 percent of the total figure are employed in the formal sector and earn a salary of NT$20 thousand per month.
Indonesia has the highest number of migrant workers in Taiwan, followed by Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.(*)
Reporter: By Libertina Widyamurti Ambari
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
