Journal of Public Diplomacy

The Korean Association for Public Diplomacy (한국공공외교학회)
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Public Diplomacy Arguments and Taiwan

  • Thomas A. Hollihan (Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, University of Southern California) ;
  • Patricia Riley (Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, University of Southern California)
  • Received : 2023.03.14
  • Accepted : 2023.07.31
  • Published : 2023.07.31
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Abstract

Taiwan has been threatened by the People's Republic of China since the communists came to power in 1949. Although it has counted on military assistance from the United States to deter its more powerful neighbor, the United States has not signed a formal treaty pledging to defend the island. In fact, the relationship between the United States and Taiwan is by intention both ambiguous and complex. This paper explores the public diplomacy arguments and symbolic gestures that define this relationship and considers Taiwan's use of soft power given the size differential in the two entities' military forces and economies. The paper discusses the specific cases of the COVID pandemic, competition for cutting edge silicon chips, the war in Ukraine, and heightened tensions between the United States and China.

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