Public diplomacy as a contributing factor to solving managing identity-based conflict: Taiwan repositions its identity and security status (2000-2020)

Leiden Repository (Leiden University)

Abstract

This dissertation examines whether public diplomacy can contribute to resolving the identity-based conflict between China and Taiwan regarding Taiwan’s political status. Focusing on the period from 2000 to 2020, it argues that Taiwan has strategically developed a distinctive form of civic-embedded public diplomacy (CEPD) that leverages both state and societal actors to manage cross-Strait tensions, strengthen international visibility, and reinforce national security. Rather than treating public diplomacy only as a tool of external communication, this research demonstrates that Taiwan has used it as an instrument of domestic identity formation and international persuasion simultaneously. Methodologically, the analysis draws on government policy documents and semi-structured interviews with Taiwanese expatriates in Southeast Asia engaged in international exchange initiatives. This qualitative method reveals how Taiwan’s domestic political transformations in these two decades, particularly democratization, identity formation, and sovereignization, reshaped state–society relations and expanded citizen participation in diplomatic efforts. These changes not only diversified the actors involved in Taiwan’s foreign engagement but also strengthened public legitimacy for its security strategy. Consequently, the findings show that Taiwan’s public diplomacy has evolved toward deeper societal participation, notably through educational exchanges, youth mobility programs, and civil-society partnerships. This shift facilitated mutual understanding with international communities, enhanced Taiwan’s resilience in identity-based conflict with China, and informed a security approach grounded in transparency, reciprocity, and civic engagement. By conceptualizing CEPD and demonstrating its relevance to identity-based conflict and security politics, this dissertation contributes to debates in international relations on soft power, public diplomacy, and state–society relations. Taiwan’s experience is a valuable case for understanding how diplomatically constrained states can mobilize public diplomacy to navigate geopolitical challenges and reshape regional security narratives.

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