TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwan-India labor cooperation memorandum of understanding has been approved by the Cabinet and will be submitted to the Legislative Yuan for further review.

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) said the agreement would be reviewed by both the Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee and the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, CNA reported.

The agreement was signed virtually between Taiwan Representative to India Baushuan Ger (葛葆萱) and India Representative to Taiwan Manharsinh Laxmanbhai Yadav on Feb. 16. 

The deal is expected to deepen the Taiwan-India bilateral partnership and “help ease the impact of Taiwan’s aging population and declining birth rate on the country’s workforce,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release.

The types of occupation and quotas will be determined by Taiwan. Both sides agreed to promote a direct hiring program and streamline the hiring process.

During an online interview in February, Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春) drew widespread criticism by saying Taiwan may first recruit migrant workers from India's northeast region because "their skin color and eating habits are similar to ours." Most of them are Christian and are skilled in manufacturing, construction and agriculture, she added.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately apologized and said, “Taiwan will welcome any Indian worker who meets conditions for recruitment and satisfies industry demand, regardless of their ethnic background.” It added that “qualified workers would be treated fairly and accorded due protection under Taiwanese law.”