Culture and diplomacy : the case of Taiwan

Since it does not have the full range of traditional and standard political tactical weapons that most countries employ, Taiwan has found the exercise of soft power particularly important as it seeks to win friends and support around the world. Relying on cultural diplomacy as the core element of soft power, the Taiwan government has developed a network of official and unofficial mechanisms to handle international exchanges and coordinated these in combinations that are unusual but nevertheless effective. This has undoubtedly helped to extend influence and to fortify the island’s vibrant cultural life, but in this paper I argue that the overall soft-power effect is diminished by a number of factors, including cross-strait politics, lack of consensus regarding national identity, lack of coordination at government level and inconsistent and low-key strategies. Further complications arise from particular interpretations of culture and cultural diplomacy adopted by the government.