In response to criticism that her comments about the proposed hiring of Indian migrant laborers were “racist,” Labour Minister Hsu Ming-chun apologized on Tuesday, according to Central News Agency Taiwan.
Minister Hsu had previously said in an interview that the ministry would first concentrate on hiring laborers from northeastern India since “their skin color and dietary habits are closer to ours.”
She said, “According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) assessments, people in this region—the majority of whom are Christians—are skilled in manufacturing, construction, and farming,” as reported by Central News Agency.
Hsu apologized for her “inaccurate” remarks during a legislative session on Tuesday morning. She clarified that Taiwan’s labor laws are designed to promote equality for all workers, local and foreign, without prejudice.
She made clear that she was agnostic of any discriminating intentions and that her goal was to showcase the skills and productivity of Indian workers, according to the Central News Agency.
In a video released on X, legislator Chen Kuan-ting of the Democratic Progressive Party “strongly condemned” Hsu’s remarks, stating that racial and skin color should not be considerations when hiring migrant laborers.
The Labor Ministry expressed regret for Hsu’s ‘inaccurate’ remark in a statement released on Monday night, emphasizing that the remarks were not intended to be discriminatory.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an apology on Tuesday acknowledging that ‘not entirely appropriate’ narratives surrounding the planned recruitment of Indian workers.
“Taiwan also fully respects India’s diverse and rich culture and cherishes the friendship between the peoples of Taiwan and India. It will spare no effort in advancing cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between the two countries, with the aim of further elevating cooperation and partnership between Taiwan and India,” it added.
“Taiwan government also hopes that the people of Taiwan will support the country’s efforts to engage with the world, further advance substantive interactions with partners in the Indo-Pacific region, and thereby bolster reciprocal and mutually beneficial exchanges,” the statement further added.
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