Yeh (centre) cutting a cake to mark Taiwan’s 113th National Day.— Photos: MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
LINES of guests waited patiently for servings of xiao long bao (soup dumplings), as staff of Din by Din Tai Fung served the freshly steamed treats paired with a dip made from julienned ginger and vinegar.
Besides the signature xiao long bao, the restaurant’s team also served Spicy Wontons in Chilli Sauce and Golden Lava Buns (hot buns filled with salted egg yolk custard) to guests at a reception held to mark Taiwan’s 113th National Day.
Din by Din Tai Fung is the Muslim-friendly outpost of Din Tai Fung, a well-known international restaurant chain from Taiwan.
Guests at the event held at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur were treated to a buffet-style dinner and performances by a student choir from the Chinese Taipei School Kuala Lumpur and Tu Chen Yung, an acclaimed Taiwanese aboriginal nose flute musician.
The event’s pre-dinner cocktail session saw guests sampling items by Taiwanese companies running businesses in Malaysia, such as butterfly crackers by Hogan Bakery, drinks and snacks by Come True Cafe and soy milk by PA Milk Dairy, as well as viewing photos at a travel photography exhibition called “Taiwan’s Timeless Charms and Endless Wonders”.
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia representative (head of mission) Phoebe Yeh said Taiwan and Malaysia have had a “very close and strong relationship” for decades, especially in people- to-people exchanges in sectors such as trade, education, tourism and culture.
“Substantial economic ties between Taiwan and Malaysia have continued to grow.
“The booming of the semiconductor and electrical and electronics industries as well as close links of the supply chains play a very essential role in economic and trade relations,” Yeh said in her speech at the reception.
Tu playing his nose flute. — Photos: MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
“The bilateral trade in 2023 amounted to US$27bil (RM114bil). Taiwan is Malaysia’s fifth largest trade partner.
“For years, Taiwan has been the eighth largest source of foreign direct investment for Malaysia.
“Taiwan’s investment has created the third largest number of employment with 400,000 jobs, next to Singapore and Japan.”
She said Taiwan was promoting a people-centred New Southbound Policy 2.0, mostly within the Asean region to increase digital connectivity, including management techniques, innovative services and system integration solutions.
On tourism, Yeh said: “A total of 460,000 Malaysians visited Taiwan in 2023, making Malaysia the number one among Asean countries to visit Taiwan.
“We are vigorously promoting ‘Salam Taiwan’, in hopes that more Muslim friends will experience the beauty and hospitality of Taiwan.”
Taiwan was ranked third in the Global Muslim Travel Index 2023 Report among non-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) destinations, behind Singapore and the United Kingdom.
Taipei City was named the “Most Promising Muslim-friendly City Destination of the Year (non-OIC)” in the same report.
Yeh added that Taiwan continued to move ahead in the information and communications technology industry, including in renewable energy, smart agriculture, smart health and biotechnology.
Taiwan’s National Day is observed on Oct 10, also known as Double Tenth Day. This year marks its 113th National Day celebration.
