Perspectives on Taiwan's Cultural and Public Diplomacy

Opening Lecture and Introduction:
Taiwan's Cultural and Public Diplomacy in Theory and Practice

Session Chair: Casper Wits, Leiden University, The Netherlands

Colin Alexander, Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom
Public Diplomacy Theory: The Pursuit of Power and Legitimacy through Moral Narratives

The public diplomacy of an international actor at a given time can analysed through the triangulation of three inter-related factors. (1) the predominant structures of hegemony and counter hegemony; (2) the prevailing notions and understandings of virtuosity and ‘goodness’ within the international system; and (3) the power status and ambition of the communicating actor in question. Taken together, these factors provide a theoretical framework upon which all public diplomacy activity can be understood. Public diplomacy communications thus assist in the manufacture of a sense of what is notionally acceptable conduct around the world – where and by whom – and what is deemed unacceptable – where and by whom. Taiwan in its contest with China exists in one of the most competitive public diplomacy scenarios found anywhere in the world. 

The conditions under which public diplomacy occurs exist away from any genuine prioritisation of ethical concerns, for it is self-interest that almost always motivates international actors to communicate, even if they present their ethical concerns convincingly. Public diplomacy communications are, therefore, a means to an end, with the propagation of implied virtuosity or congruence with prevailing norms forming a central part of the quest for greater status, or retention of it, and a desire for positive recognition among global elites and by publics. To this end, international actors engage with foreign publics when it is believed that they are useful to these power equations. In the neoliberal age, public diplomacy is wholly linked to the priorities of the global means of production, financial transfer, and the satisfaction of the global supply chains, to which Taiwan has sought to fully integrate itself as part of its survival strategy. 

Dr Colin Alexander is a Senior Lecturer in Political Communications at the School of Arts and Humanities, Nottingham Trent University (NTU). He serves as Course Leader for the Masters in Global Media and Communications, taught primarily at NTU's City Campus. His research expertise spans propaganda, public diplomacy, critical journalism studies, philanthropy, East Asian international relations (China, Taiwan, and North Korea), colonialism, and the role of moral philosophy in global affairs. 

Dr Alexander holds a PhD in Communications Studies from the University of Leeds, where his thesis examined public diplomacy in the context of China and Taiwan's competition for diplomatic allies in the Global South. Prior to joining NTU in 2013, he held academic posts at the University of Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan University, and Sheffield Hallam University. In 2013, he was a Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Research Fellow at National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei. 

Currently, he is writing a book on propaganda during the COVID-19 pandemic, scheduled for publication in 2026 COLIN and he is the author of China and Taiwan in Central America: Engaging Foreign Publics in Diplomacy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014).

Jens Damm, International Institute for Asian Studies and Leiden University, The Netherlands
Changing Narratives: Taiwan's Shift in Cultural and Public Diplomacy from 'Free China' to the 'Beacon of Freedom'

Taiwan's cultural and public diplomacy has transitioned from the Cold War-era "Free China" narrative to the modern "Beacon of Democracy" emphasis. Initially, under Kuomintang rule, Taiwan focused on countering communist influence, particularly through cultural exchanges and appeals to overseas Chinese communities to bolster its legitimacy vis-à-vis the People's Republic of China. This strategy promoted traditional Chinese culture and showcased Taiwan's rapid economic development as a contrast to the poverty and instability in mainland China during that period. However, democratization and increasing international isolation shifted Taiwan's focus to democratic values and human rights in the 1990s, and now exemplified by the recent legalization of same-sex marriage. Today, Taiwan positions itself as a reliable partner, highlighting shared values with democracies and its global economic integration, contrasting its democracy with China's authoritarianism. While adapting to geopolitical shifts has bolstered Taiwan's profile, challenges remain, such as transactional foreign policies by the Trump administration undermining value-based diplomacy. Nevertheless, Taiwan's civil society dynamism, democratic resilience, and agile diplomacy remain key soft power assets.

Dr Jens Damm is a scholar in Taiwan Studies and currently assumes the role of Visiting Chair of Taiwan Studies at the University of Leiden. Previously, he served as Interim Professor for Modern Chinese Studies at the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg. Before that, Dr. Damm was an Associate Professor at the Graduate Institute of Taiwan Studies, Chang Jung University, Taiwan (2009–2019), and an Assistant Professor at Freie Universität Berlin until 2009. His research interests span new media, the internet, the Taiwanese and Chinese diasporas, and gender studies.

From 2015 to 2017, Dr. Damm was the Principal Investigator for the project “China's Cultural Diplomacy and the Role of Non-state Actors” at the Oriental Institute in Prague. His recent publications include the forthcoming edited volume Unpacking ‘De-risking’ China in the Indo-Pacific Region: Economic Statecraft and Geoeconomics (co-edited with Carl Lee), scheduled for publication by Routledge in 2025/2026. Other notable works include “Politics and the Media” in the Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Taiwan (2024) and “Contested and Negotiated Discourses: Media Framing of Homosexuality Issues in Taiwan” in the Routledge Handbook of Chinese Media (2024). Dr. Damm’s scholarship also explores cultural diplomacy and the role of media in driving societal change in Taiwan and China.

Session One - Case Studies:
Taiwan's Cultural Diplomacy through Heritage and Identity

Session Chair: Pablo Ampuero Ruiz, Leiden University, the Netherlands

Toward a Decolonial Heritage Diplomacy: the VOC in Taiwan?
Ann Heylen, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan

Many a visitor to Taiwan express surprise at the generally positive perception of Dutch colonial rule, reflected in the presence of colonial symbols on consumer goods. This sentiment was particularly pronounced in 2024 during the 400th anniversary of Tainan. In historical narratives, the year 1624 signifies the Dutch settlement in Anping and is regarded as the beginning of Dutch VOC rule, also known as Dutch Formosa. This presentation explores the historical, sociopolitical, and cultural dimensions of Taiwan’s collective memory of its Dutch colonial past. It examines the role of both state and non-state actors in leveraging this legacy for cultural diplomacy while also addressing the evolving discourse on decolonial heritage diplomacy.

Dr Ann Heylen is a professor in the Department of Taiwan Culture, Languages and Literature at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) in Taipei, Taiwan. She also serves as the Director of the International Taiwan Studies Center at NTNU's College of Liberal Arts. She holds a Ph.D. in Chinese Studies (Sinology) from Catholic University Leuven, Belgium. Prof. Heylen is the editor-in-chief of the East Asian Journal of Popular Culture (EAJPC, Intellect) and a founding board member of the European Association of Taiwan Studies (EATS). Her research focuses on the history and historiography of Taiwan, with special attention to Dutch Formosa and the Japanese colonial period (1895–1945).

Her key publications include Japanese Models, Chinese Culture and the Dilemma of Taiwanese Language Reform (Harrassowitz, 2012) with contributions to edited volumes such as "A Sociolinguistic Approach to the Standardization of Taiyu in the Quest for a Taiwanese Identity" in Taiwan: Manipulation of Ideology and Struggle for Identity (Routledge, 2021), “Taiwan in Late Ming and Qing China” in the Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Taiwan (2024), and Since 1624: Taiwanese-Dutch Connections, co-edited with Mila Davids, Eric Berkers, and Tim Riswick (Eindhoven: SHT, 2024).

Dr. Heylen is currently working on projects exploring Formosa media narratives through digital newspaper corpora, and revisiting 17th century VOC source material in the China Seas (GLOBALISE project, Huygens Institute, Amsterdam).

Taiwanese Literature in Poland: A Case of Cultural Diplomacy in Practice
Katarzyna Sarek, Jagiellonian University, Poland

The presence and reception of Taiwanese literature in Poland can serve as a case study of cultural diplomacy in practice. Focusing on the period from the early 2000s to the present, it analyses the mechanisms through which Taiwanese literary works have been introduced, translated and promoted in the Polish cultural sphere. The study traces the key institutional actors - including the Ministry of Culture, ROC (Taiwan), the Taipei Representative Office in Poland, as well as academic and publishing initiatives - that have facilitated this exchange. Particular attention is paid to the role of government-sponsored translation grants, literary festivals and university collaborations in shaping the visibility of Taiwanese authors. The paper also identifies the most frequently translated authors, thematic preferences, and strategies used by Polish publishers to introduce Taiwanese literature to local readers. Drawing on interviews, bibliographical data, and past cultural events, it argues that Taiwanese literary presence in Poland is not accidental, but part of a broader effort to build a cultural presence in Central Europe in the absence of formal diplomatic relations. The study highlights the effectiveness of literature as a soft power tool, noting both its potential and limitations in promoting mutual understanding and enhancing Taiwan's international cultural profile.

Dr Katarzyna Sarek (倪可贤) is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Oriental Studies at Jagiellonian University in Krakow. She holds a Ph.D. in Chinese Studies from the University of Warsaw. She studied Chinese at Nanjing Normal University and lived in China for nearly a decade.

She specializes in modern Chinese literature, translation studies, and the history of Sinology in Poland. She has published on contemporary Chinese literature and translated numerous works of Taiwanese literature into Polish, introducing leading Taiwanese authors such as Wu Ming-yi, Ng Kim Chew and Kuo Chiang-Sheng to a wider audience.

Taiwan's Contested WWII in Cultural Diplomacy
Casper Wits, Leiden University, the Netherlands

Politicians like former ROC president Ma Ying-jeou (KMT), both in and out of office, have utilised a variety of historical narratives in their cultural diplomacy, especially with mainland China, and thereby sought more alignment regarding the stories of the Sino-Japanese war on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. As these efforts stick to and build on a traditional narrative that centralises ‘Chinese’ heroism, this perpetuates a shared memorial culture that still excludes the experience of WWII as experienced by many Taiwanese. Analysing the nature of Ma Ying-jeou’s interactions with mainland China, and especially his visits to memory spaces connected to the Sino-Japanese war, we will reflect on the (lack of) significance of this type of cultural diplomacy. Next, we will explore how Taiwan’s WWII experience, as well as the Japanese colonial experience in general, has featured in the interactions with Japan of prominent Taiwanese politicians such as Lee Teng-hui (KMT) and Tsai Ing-wen (DPP), in and out of office. Juxtaposing Ma’s efforts with the admittedly limited utilisation of Taiwan’s shared history with Japan by Lee and Tsai, this talk hopes to elucidate the shifting and contested narratives of Taiwan’s WWII experience in cultural diplomacy.

Dr Casper Wits is a Lecturer in East Asian Studies at Leiden University, and his research focuses on the international history of the East Asian region (especially China, Japan, and Taiwan). With a background in both  Chinese and Japanese studies, his research is rooted in the original Chinese and Japanese sources. He has previously taught at the universities of Cambridge and Tübingen, and has spent over a decade in East Asia, where he received his PhD from Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan in 2016.

Session Two - Case Studies:
Cultural and Human Rights Diplomacy in Taiwan's Global Engagement

Session Chair: Katarzyna Sarek, Jagiellonian University, Poland

Navigating Civil Diplomacy in an Ever-dynamic Taiwan Context
Michael Danielsen, Taiwan Corner, Denmark

Michael Danielsen, Ph.D. in natural sciences is co-founder and chairman of the Copenhagen based association Taiwan Corner since the establishment in January 2008. He has a deep understanding of the region's political and cultural nuances and offers valuable insights into Taiwan's evolving position in the global landscape. His expertise is particularly relevant in addressing current domestic issues and challenges facing Taiwan and  cross strait relation. He has given talks about Taiwan’s democracy, Taiwan’s identity, and cross strait relations in the European Parliament, London School of Economics, and other venues. He is also active in especially Danish media.

Taiwan Corner informs about Taiwan in Europe and is independent of economic and political interests. Please consult www.taiwancorner.org for a complete list of articles and additional information.

Frederic Krumbein, Tel Aviv University, Israel and Institute of East Asian Studies, Germany
Human Rights, including LGBTQ+ Rights, in Taiwan’s Foreign Policy

Taiwan is often considered to be Asia’s most liberal democracy, and a leader in LGBTIQ+ rights. Taiwan’s values of democracy and human rights are an essential part of Taiwan’s identity as a society, as well as an important resource of Taiwan’s global soft power.

The presentation will explore how Taiwan has used this soft power in its foreign policy, how it has helped Taiwan in its external relations, e.g. in relations between the EU and Taiwan, and how relevant this soft power still is in a more realist world.

Dr Frédéric Krumbein is currently the Heinrich Heine Visiting Professor (DAAD Professor) at Tel Aviv University in Israel and serves as an Associate Member at the Institute of East Asian Studies at the University Duisburg-Essen. His academic career includes significant roles as a researcher in the Asia Division of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). Previously, he was a researcher at the Asia Division of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, a two-times Taiwan Fellow of Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry, and an International Visiting Fellow at the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy. His research interests include human rights in Taiwan, mainland China, and the EU, EU-Taiwan- and EU-China relations, populism in East Asia, and cross-strait relations.

His research interests are diverse and encompass critical areas such as human rights, EU relations, populism, and cross-strait relations. Specifically, he focuses on the human rights situation in Taiwan and mainland China, investigates the dynamics of EU-Taiwan and EU-China relations, analyses the rise of populism in East Asia, and explores the complex interactions between Taiwan and mainland China.

Roundtable Discussion:
The Future of Taiwan's Public and Cultural Diplomacy in a Changing World

Roundtable Chairs: Jens Damm and Ann Heylen