The decision has been in the news after Taiwan's Minister of Labour, Hsu Ming-chun, came under criticism after she told a parliament session that the first batch of Indian workers would probably come from the country's northeastern states due to similarities in appearance, diet, and religion. An excerpt from the article read, in part: "The Foreign Ministry of Taiwan now tenders an official apology for the comments and says they regret having caused this situation.

During the show on February 29, Hsu posted comments stating that prospective candidates from the northeastern states would be most suitable due to their shared commonalities. Social media posts on the weekend pointed to an apology from the Taiwanese government on March 4.

After Sarkar's regretful statement, Taiwan regretted any inappropriate remarks by its government agencies and said that it receives criticism from the domestic and international community. Even after the apology, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs didn't issue any official statements.

New Delhi has already been pushed to the corner after the controversy over what lay beyond a recent labor mobility agreement it signed with Taiwan to solve the ever-intensifying labor shortage in Taiwan. But it gave rise to suspicion in Taiwan over potential "social and security problems," questioning the import of these Indian workers.

This surely strained relations and showed that much understanding needed to go between the two nations. We are making efforts to address any concerns and ensure that future collaborations are carried out with all due sensitivities to diversity.