Written by Michael Reilly. This article argues that any marked shift in British policy towards Taiwan seems unlikely with the change in government because foreign policy has always been largely bipartisan. There are many more pressing priorities than Taiwan and therefore the initiative for further developing bilateral relations lies with Taiwan.
Written by Alessandro Albana and Antonio Fiori. The president-elect Lai Ching-te is expected to bring about no significant changes compared to the incumbent leadership of Tsai Ing-wen in terms of external relations. This article reviews the growing relationship between Taiwan and Europe in the past few years and the potential obstacles ahead.
Written by Uma Baron. Taiwan has long been recognised as an international beacon for LGBTQ+ rights. This article analyses the existing diplomatic power and future potential of Tongzhi diplomacy as part of the agenda of preserving and expanding Taiwan’s presence in international spaces.
Written by Ratih Kabinawa. In recent years, Taiwan increasingly utilised non-state actors to bypass its diplomatic constraints. This article focuses on the role of Taishang or Taiwanese businesspeople who have served as the frontline of Taiwan’s public diplomacy, especially under the leadership of the DPP and Tsai Ing-wen as president.
Written by Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy. In 2023, Taiwan continued to present itself as a democracy internationally through subnational diplomacy. As it elected a new president and a new parliament in the new year, this article anlayses how the dynamics of cross-Strait relations are driving the internationalisation of Taiwan. It is expected that the two sides are likely to drift further apart in the coming years and this will further strengthen Taiwan’s identity as a democracy.
Written by Jonathan Sullivan. Taiwan has concluded its eighth direct election of the Republic of China (ROC) President. It was not a pivotal, watershed or critical election, and it was not a contest between war and peace or the embodiment of democracy vs authoritarianism; it was an entirely normal election. The main issues (China, the economy), turnout (71%), the communications environment (parochial and partisan), the candidates’ micro-scandals (this time round requiring knowledge of esoteric building code and land-use regulation), the boisterous rallies and hustings etc were all familiar and part of the routine functioning of Taiwanese democracy. The Central Election Commission once again organised a flawless election. The nuts and bolts of voting stations in temples and school gyms, accurate and fast analogue counts, volunteers getting people lined up and in and out smoothly, etc, are the little things that add up to a big sum.
