Continuing its longstanding tradition of informal diplomacy, Taiwan has in the past few years been increasingly focusing on think tanks and forums as a means to expand relationships with countries in Southeast Asia and Europe.
Caught in a unique geopolitical situation, the nation has long relied on informal and semi-informal channels to communicate with like-minded nations.
This has often involved think tanks, which hold forums with their foreign counterparts on critical issues such as regional security, health and innovation.
In addition to those set up under the direction of government ministries, such as the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), there are also private organizations, including the Institute for National Policy Research (INPR).
A prime example is the Taiwan-US-Japan Trilateral Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has since 2011 organized through think tanks at home and abroad.
The dialogue has drawn participation from US think tanks such as the Center for a New American Security, the Heritage Foundation and the Project 2049 Institute, as well as Japanese groups the Institute for International Policy Studies and Japan Institute of International Affairs.
On Taiwan’s side, the Prospect Foundation, Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research and other organizations have participated in the event, which is designed to create a venue for in-person trilateral communication on security issues, and goes on to influence legislative decisions.
The Ketagalan Forum similarly seeks to create a platform for regional security discussions.
Organized annually by the ministry and local think tanks since 2017, the forum gathers officials, academics and experts to discuss threats and changing dynamics in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as to forge bonds with like-minded nations for the sake of continued peace and prosperity.
Topics on the agenda have included maritime security, public health and economic security, while speakers have included former US vice president Dick Cheney and former Australian minister for defence Christopher Pyne.
Meanwhile, the Yushan Forum was founded in 2017 as a platform for dialogue with Taiwan’s neighbors on innovation and progress.
Aside from the usual experts, the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation, which organizes the forum, also invites young leaders, innovators and other notable figures to share their views.
The third edition of the forum in 2019 brought together representatives from more than 30 countries, including former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper and Japanese Representative Keiji Furuya.
The foundation is itself an example of the nation’s change in foreign policy focus, as the policy-oriented think tank since its founding in 2018 has striven to promote cooperation with New Southbound Policy countries through think tanks, non-governmental organizations and young leaders.
The INDSR was also established in 2018 as the nation’s top military think tank.
Aside from putting together a number of publications and reports, it also aims to facilitate communication with other nations on traditional and nontraditional security challenges. This has resulted in events held in conjunction with US think tank RAND Corp on the New Southbound Policy, as well as with the Central European Institute of Asian Studies.
Coming from the private sector, the Chang Yung-fa Foundation in 1989 established the INPR, which has been promoting exchanges with think tanks in Europe, Japan and the US through an array of forums and events.
This includes the annual Asia and Pacific Security Forum held in collaboration with the US Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Philippine Institute for Strategic and Development Studies and the Asia Centre from France, as well as the Taipei-Tokyo Strategic Dialogue held since 2014.
Also of note is the group’s annual Asia-Pacific Think Tank Summit, to which it invites leaders of think tanks from nearly 20 countries to discuss developmental and other issues of importance to the region.
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