Because of Taiwan’s unique international status, Taiwanese don’t usually get the chance to take part in diplomatic events. Following the opening ceremony at Asia Economic Dialog, India’s foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar joined the finance ministers from Bhutan and the Maldives in a session to talk about South Asia’s economy. The session’s moderator was Qautam Bambawle, who has served as India’s ambassador to China and Bhutan and high commissioner to Pakistan. Brazil’s ambassador to India was also there. I was somewhat an outsider, but got the chance to observe firsthand the interactions between these ministers of South Asian countries.