TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Indian Parliamentarian Sujeet Kumar has called for India to strengthen ties with Taiwan given both nations are democracies.

Kumar said that the Indian government should bolster political exchanges and send a parliamentary delegation to Taiwan to show its support at a time when China is bullying both India and Taiwan, according to CNA. The two countries should share intelligence and security expertise to counter China, he suggested.

The politician said India and Taiwan can learn a lot from each other and should foster sister city relations. He added that as Buddhism originated from India, it would make sense to attract more Taiwanese, many of whom are Buddhist.

Kumar said he believes closer bilateral relations will help maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, per Liberty Times. For both countries, China is a bully, he said, pointing to Beijing’s military activities in the Taiwan Strait and at the contested border with India.

Although the politician said he does not question the Indian government's "one China” policy, he does not believe in it. He said that he personally thinks India should rethink its stance regarding Taiwan.

The more we tolerate Chinese aggression, the more it will intensify, he said.

Kumar said there is still a lot of room for improvement in terms of bolstering trade, investment, tourism, and political and educational exchanges between Taiwan and India.

Kumar is currently on a 10-day visit to Taiwan. He will attend the Yushan Forum on Oct. 7 and the Taiwan-India Dialogue on Oct. 8.

The politician will also meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), businesspeople, and think tank scholars. Additionally, he will stop by two universities in Taichung.