Use + Remix

Politics

China and Taiwan: a comparison

Published on April 27, 2023

An infographic comparingTaiwan and China. : Reece Hooker, 360info CC BY 4.0 An infographic comparingTaiwan and China. : Reece Hooker, 360info CC BY 4.0

Taiwan’s soft power allows it to maintain international influence even as its size, market value and military power is dwarfed by China.

 

Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info™.

Authors
Reece Hooker
Deputy Commissioning Editor, 360info Asia-Pacific

Special Report Articles
Despite losing allies, it’s unlikely Taiwan’s international influence will wane any time soon, according to experts. : Michael Joiner, 360 info CC BY 4.0

On the heels of losing another diplomatic ally, Taiwan continues to win friends and influence others in the only way it knows how: through its soft power.

Taiwan soft power

Taiwan’s quest for legitimacy
Taiwanese democracy holds an exemplary reputation, warts and all. : Kenny Mori, Taiwan Scenery Gallery/Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0

Taiwan is celebrated as a vibrant democracy in the shadow of a repressive China, but the complicated reality reveals an opportunity that is yet to be taken.

Taiwan soft power

Is Taiwan still a ‘beacon of democracy’ in the Chinese world?
Taiwan was the first place in Asia to recognise same-sex marriage. : Taiwan Scenery Gallery/Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0

Taiwan is smaller and has less access to normal diplomatic avenues but does have one advantage over mainland China.

Taiwan soft power

Taiwan’s soft power hard for Beijing to match
Person-to-person diplomacy has been a central policy of the Tsai administration. : Makoto Lin / Office of the President CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The lack of official diplomatic allies isn’t stopping Taiwan from finding ways of winning friends and influencing people.

Taiwan soft power

Taiwan is reinventing how diplomacy works