Thu, Jun 19, 2025 page8

• Civil society and Taiwan’s voice

  • By Joshua Burgin, Sana Hashmi 胡莎娜
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  As Taiwan’s global profile rises, many liberal democracies still falter in crafting a consistent and coherent Taiwan policy that matches the moment. Support often comes in rhetorical flourishes or reactive moves, while long-term engagement, grounded in mutual understanding, remains elusive. The result is a patchwork approach that leaves Taiwan’s voice under-amplified when clarity and solidarity matter the most.

  Take India. A once-promising policy initiative that sent foreign service trainees to Taipei for language training has been quietly discontinued. Although modest in scale, it gave young diplomats a rare opportunity to know Taiwan as it is, not as Beijing insists it must be seen. Its cancelation reflects a broader lack of strategic vision, one that sidelines Taiwan when visibility and connection are essential.

  Europe, too, has shown inconsistency — most recently in Denmark’s bureaucratic choice to list Taiwanese nationals as Chinese on residence permits, a decision that inadvertently validates Beijing’s narrative and erases Taiwan’s distinct identity.

  Meanwhile, the US is a different case: While it remains Taiwan’s most critical partner, its stance is increasingly shaped by global crises and competing security imperatives.

  However, this is no ordinary moment. Strategic ambiguity that is at the core of the US’ Taiwan policy is giving way to the harder questions of deterrence and democratic resilience.

  The threat of a Chinese invasion is no longer theoretical. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sharpened the world’s awareness of what is at stake when authoritarian states act by force. Taiwan’s future carries global consequences — economically, politically and morally.

  However, Taiwan’s story remains widely misunderstood and less known, but there is no room for hesitation anymore: Taiwan’s story must be told and amplified. Importantly, Taiwan is not simply territory to be defended; it is a partner with much to offer — from public health expertise and technological innovation to democratic governance and disaster response.

  A core part of the challenge is institutional. Taiwan’s lack of formal diplomatic recognition restricts its access to global decisionmaking platforms and multilateral engagement. However, the problem runs deeper: Too often, Taiwan is seen only through the lens of cross-strait tensions or great-power rivalry. This overlooks the lived reality of a pluralistic, innovative, resilient and democratic society.

  This is where international civil society must step in, not to replace diplomacy, but to complement it by filling the void left by state-level caution.

  Civil society can do what governments do not: build lasting relationships, create room for dialogue and tell stories that resist Beijing’s campaign of isolation. Nimble, values-driven and often ahead of official policy, civil society has become one of Taiwan’s most effective advocates.

  Taiwanese and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are helping build the connective tissue Taiwan needs to engage more fully with the democratic world.

  NGOs, think tanks, universities and newsrooms have the flexibility and reach to cultivate human-centered ties and elevate Taiwan’s voice beyond formal diplomatic channels. These decentralized connections provide a measure of resilience in the face of diplomatic constraints. Such engagement is already underway. Fellowships, youth exchanges, academic networks and cultural forums are shifting perceptions — reframing Taiwan not merely as a geopolitical flashpoint, but also as a democratic partner. In doing so, they help build trust, deepen mutual understanding and forge enduring partnerships.

  Among the most urgent tasks for civil society is ensuring that emerging global leaders experience Taiwan firsthand. Too often their understanding is shaped by secondary literature — or worse, filtered through China’s official narratives. White papers cannot substitute for lived experience. When leaders spend time in Taiwan, engage directly with officials and build relationships with its people, something transformative occurs. These experiences help Taiwan become more than just a headline — they make it real.

  Some organizations have been laying this groundwork. Several Western and Taiwanese think tanks along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for instance, have brought young voices to Taiwan to see the country beyond the headlines. However, much of these efforts remain limited to North America and parts of Western Europe. What is still missing is systematic outreach to rising leaders in Central and Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and India — regions that are playing an increasingly central role in shaping the future international order.

  One promising model is the Alliance for Global Security (AGS), a new initiative connecting local and regional elected officials and thought leaders from the US and Europe with their counterparts in Taiwan. Through study visits and resilience-focused exchanges, AGS is introducing next-generation policymakers to Taiwan’s democratic strengths and the challenges it faces. These leaders return home invested. Efforts such as AGS should be expanded to include democracies such as Poland and Sweden, which are too often left out of the conversation.

  However, these efforts cannot succeed in isolation. Civil society is agile and catalytic, but it requires broader public backing and the support of democratic governments. When governmental stakeholders collaborate with non-state actors by providing funding, recognizing informal channels and amplifying Taiwan’s global contributions, the impact is greatly multiplied.

  Taiwan does not need symbolic gestures or well-meaning statements alone; it needs long-term partnerships rooted in shared values, strategic solidarity and clarity. The world is beginning to grasp the risks Taiwan faces — but awareness alone is not enough. Civil society provides a path forward: one that is human, grounded and less vulnerable to the ebbs and flows of the political cycles. The real question is whether the international community is ready to step up, and whether governments would work with civil society rather than leave Taiwan to navigate turbulent waters alone.

  Taiwan’s resilience is not in question; its isolation, however, remains a real risk. In this moment, civil society actors and liberal democracies alike have a shared responsibility to amplify Taiwan’s voice, invest in the next generation, connect the next generation of liberal democracies with that of Taiwan, and ensure it does not stand alone in facing the mounting pressures felt across the region.

  The partnerships we forge today would shape how Taiwan is seen, supported and defended tomorrow.

  Joshua Burgin is the founder of the Alliance for Global Security. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Sana Hashmi is a fellow at the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation.
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