Knowledge Zone
Understanding the New Southbound Policy: New Opportunities for Talent Exchange between Taiwan and Southeast Asia
What is the New Southbound Policy?
The New Southbound Policy is an important international cooperation strategy promoted by the Taiwanese government since 2016. With "people-centeredness" as its core concept, it aims to deepen Taiwan's diverse cooperative relationships with 18 countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Australia and New Zealand.
In the talent sector, the policy objective is to create mutually beneficial talent exchanges, on the one hand assisting Taiwanese companies in attracting international talent, and on the other hand providing opportunities for Southeast Asian talent to develop in Taiwan.
The four driving forces of the New Southbound Policy
| Oriented | illustrate |
|---|---|
| Economic and trade cooperation | Promote trade, investment and industrial cooperation with Southeast Asian countries |
| Talent exchange | Expand two-way talent cultivation, academic cooperation, and recruitment of professional talents |
| Resource sharing | Establish cooperation mechanisms in fields such as healthcare, science and technology, and agriculture. |
| Area Link | Strengthen people-to-people exchanges and enhance bilateral social understanding |
Key Measures for Talent Exchange
The core measures of the New Southbound Policy in terms of talent exchange include:
Southeast Asian talent
- Scholarship Program : Provides scholarships for studying in Taiwan to encourage outstanding Southeast Asian students to pursue higher education in Taiwan.
- Industry-academia collaboration : Combining university education with industry needs to cultivate practical talents.
- Talent Acquisition : Relaxing work permit and residency regulations to attract professionals to work in Taiwan.
- Overseas Chinese and foreign students staying in Taiwan : Improving the employment transition system for overseas Chinese and foreign students graduating in Taiwan.
Taiwanese companies
- Talent matching platform : Establishing matching tools such as the New Southbound Human Resources Bank to lower the threshold for companies to find talent.
- Regulations loosened : Amendments to the Foreign Professionals Recruitment and Employment Act to simplify hiring procedures.
- Industry Human Resource Supplementation : Providing assistance in attracting foreign talent to key industries.
New Southbound Policy target countries
| area | nation |
|---|---|
| Southeast Asia | Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei |
| South Asia | India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan |
| Australia and New Zealand | Australia, New Zealand |
This platform currently primarily serves five countries: Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia .
The role of New Southbound talent banks
The New Southbound Talent Bank is a professional talent matching platform established under the New Southbound Policy framework, dedicated to:
- Provides Taiwanese companies with a convenient channel for recruiting talent in Southeast Asia.
- Providing a transparent and secure job search platform in Taiwan for professionals in Southeast Asia.
- We offer multilingual services (Chinese, English, Vietnamese, Indonesian) to reduce language barriers.
- Integrating practical resources such as employment regulations, visa information, and living guides.
Related institutions and resources
| mechanism | website | illustrate |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Yuan's New Southbound Policy Zone | link | Policy Outcomes and Current Status of Promotion |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs New Southbound Policy Information Platform | link | Information on cooperation dynamics and activities among countries |
| New Southbound Economic and Trade Network | link | Information and business opportunities on economic and trade cooperation |
| National Development Council Foreign Professionals Page | link | Talent Laws and Policies Information |
| Ministry of Labor's Foreigners Working in Taiwan Service Network | link | Work permit application and regulatory inquiry |
The content of this article is compiled from official resources such as the Executive Yuan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Development Council. The actual policies are subject to the latest announcements from the relevant authorities.
※ Information Timeliness Reminder: The amounts, rates, market conditions, and regulations contained in this article are information as of the time of writing (2026). Basic wages, labor and health insurance rates, etc., may be adjusted every year. Please refer to the latest announcements from the competent authorities and current regulations for the most accurate information.
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