Mandarin education has become an important part of Taiwan’s niche diplomacy as the country seeks to boost its international profile. Key takeaways: Taiwan has adopted a multi-pronged approach, investing substantial funds and resources in Mandarin education for foreigners in Taiwan and abroad to establish a distinct model from China. Taiwan’s Mandarin education policy plays a… Continue reading Leveraging Mandarin education: Expanding Taiwan’s international reach through soft power
Cross-Strait relations are usually discussed in terms of military risk, diplomacy, and great-power politics. But survey data from Taiwan show that the relationship is also deeply emotional, shaped by anxiety, threat, helplessness, and a fragile sense of peace. Key takeaways: Taiwanese views of cross-Strait relations are not only strategic or ideological; they are strongly emotional.… Continue reading How Taiwanese emotions shape views of Cross-Strait relations
Museum cooperation between Czechia and Taiwan has been exceptionally strong and steady since the 2000s. How telling is this kind of cooperation about the cultural partnership? to have an indigenous boat specially built and gifted, or to have the famous Jadeite Cabbage lent to Czechia? Key takeaways: The two recent Czech–Taiwan collaborative exhibitions emerged from… Continue reading The Czech–Taiwan partnership on display in a rich museum exchange
During the author’s recent research stay in Taipei, conversations about China rarely began with military exercises. They began with law, constitutional interpretation, amendments to national security legislation, and judicial independence. In Taiwan, however, the law is not a technical matter; it is a frontline. Key takeaways: Cross-strait tensions are not only military but also legal.… Continue reading Lawfare across the Strait: Taiwan’s legal resilience and China’s expanding rule-of-law narrative
While Taiwanese politics in 2025 were first engulfed by recall campaigns and later by a constitutional crisis, some legislative changes flew under the radar. One of them is small on paper but potentially transformative in practice: a reform that strengthens women’s political representation at the local level. Key takeaways: Taiwan’s high level of women’s representation… Continue reading A quiet reform with big consequences: How Taiwan is reshaping women’s representation in local politics
