The South East Asian South Asian Taiwan (SEASAT) SEASAT Youth Camp 2023 which took place last July in Taipei with the theme “Bridging Boundaries” has brought Asia-wide youth closer across borders, literally and figuratively.
The invisible but not-absent boundaries in thoughts, cultures, realities, and humanities have been thoroughly discussed. Throughout the three-day camp, critical questions concerning democratic movements, the future of work, youth engagement, inclusivity, and peacebuilding have been raised by delegates from all over Asia. Particularly discussed was Taiwan (Republic of China)’s innovative New Southbound Policy (hereinafter referred to as NSP). The SEASAT SEASAT Youth Camp emphasized the significance of unconventional diplomacy, whose practice revolves around the public-private-people partnership (hereinafter referred to as P-P-P-P) model and prioritizes 5 Ms, which are: (1) to make profit together; (2) to make jobs; (3) to make friends; (4) to make families; (5) to make values[1]. As far as the NSP is put into action, Taiwan’s image together with its diplomatic direction has been reimagined as a beneficial looking-for-long-term friend whose heart is filled with transparency and integrity. Put under an analytical scope, the SEASAT Youth Camp itself acts as an example of the NSP as well as an embodiment of its core agenda which is to encourage educational cooperation (人才交流) or cultural diplomacy besides diversifying economic ties and seeking to provide public goods (資源共享)[2]. This can also be considered as a positive indicator for the NSP’s implementation thanks to the inclusion of diverse nationalities, expertise, and socio-political backgrounds. This signifies a shift in the mentality - from Taiwanese Asia (臺灣的亞洲) to “Asian Taiwan” (亞洲的臺灣) (Yang, 2018).
Although there have been signals for the effectiveness of Taiwan’s NSP under President Tsai Ing-wen’s leadership, especially seen in the areas of international trade, educational exchange, culture, technology, and society (Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation, 2019), critiques have been raised towards the NSP concerning its potential lack of public understanding both domestically and overseas. This is in addition to countering China’s hard power and political influence in Asia. Along with establishing sustainable and comprehensive partnerships, moderating China’s economic influence is one of the key purposes of NSP. This involves diversifying economic ties among nations, thereby decreasing countries’ dependency on China (Black, 2019). Despite this attempt’s failure on some occasions, economic relations based on multilateral partnerships with economic and logical links have been proven to be feasible (Black, 2019). Moreover, as an informal yet effective alternative, two pillars in the PPPP have been utilized to circumvent the hard power enforced by China - which are people-to-people partnerships that sometimes show even higher impacts than the official economic relations (Perkuhn, 2018).
Whilst China’s opposition to Taiwan's NSP appears to be highly likely inept, the lack of public understanding, therefore, poses a more visible threat to the long-term implementation of the NSP. On one hand, there is a general understanding of the necessity for economic diversification and the overall benefits of the NSP (Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation, 2019). On the other hand, public perceptions of partner countries often lean towards viewing them as less developed and offering fewer opportunities compared to China. This perception is compounded by the notion that these nations are primarily seen as sources of inexpensive, low-skilled labor and potential marriage partners for older, low-income Taiwanese. From the Taiwanese people’s point of view, a lack of domestic public understanding regarding the NSP might cause confusion as, for a long time, Taiwan has focused its foreign policy on America and the Global North (Hashmi, 2021) as well as a scarcity in guiding policies (New Southbound Policy Portal, 2023).[HL1] Additionally, the economic benefits derived from trade and investment through the NSP tend to directly benefit businesses and their shareholders, rather than directly and significantly impacting wages and prospects within Taiwan. In contrast to the extensively scrutinized issues with China, partnerships within the NSP can sometimes be marginalized in Taiwan's priorities (Chong, 2019), which might be due to the lack of domestic public understanding as mentioned above. In other words, the problems boil down to one question: "How can humanity actually see others' boundaries and then see each other beyond those boundaries?".
Realizing the borders, visualizing their undersurface implications, then either fighting against or bridging them; it occurs that humans at their very basis of nature are somehow always able to hold on to their boundaries and/or borders. Consequently, the journey towards harmonious co-existence might find its compass in the delicate equilibrium of perceiving boundaries with acute insight and simultaneously envisioning the uncharted horizons that lie beyond. Put differently, might the path to harmonious co-existence lie in the balance of seeing (not just acknowledging) and seeing beyond?
To partly reciprocate this inquiry, first and foremost, the process involves recognizing these demarcations, both physical and conceptual, and acknowledging the diversity they encapsulate. This initial step sets the foundation for the next phase: looking beyond these borders. Here, the core tenet of integrity emerges, acting as the compass guiding intercultural interactions. Upholding honesty, respect, and authenticity enables individuals to navigate the delicate terrain of cross-cultural engagement. Furthermore, using the SEASAT Youth Camp as a bright example, the solution shall highlight the remarkable potential of using soft power i.e., unconventional diplomacy as a bridge and hard power as a base. Soft power, emanating from cultural exchange and shared values, acts as the conduit for building connections that extend beyond borders. Meanwhile, hard power, represented by infrastructure and economic stability, provides the stable platform upon which these connections can be established and flourish. In this manner, the SEASAT SEASAT Youth Camp serves as a vivid illustration of how humanity can come to perceive and ultimately transcend boundaries, fostering a global community founded on mutual understanding, integrity, and a strategic blend of both soft and hard power dynamics. Such a nuanced perspective encourages humanity to not only respect boundaries but also to foster connections that extend beyond them, cultivating a tapestry of shared understanding and cooperation.
Regardless of the answer, the SEASAT Youth Camp has unveiled a dynamic, transparent, and self-reliant Taiwan to the young across Asia, which is one step closer to Asian Taiwan on its voyage towards the South. Ultimately, the New Southbound Policy in particular and unconventional diplomacy in general illuminate the path towards a more interconnected and harmonious future for both Taiwan and the diverse tapestry of Asian nations.
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[1] TAEF Chairman H.H. Michael Hsiao. (2019, October). Presentation at the 2019 Yushan Forum.
[2] Sana Hashmi. (2023, July). Presentation at the 2023 SEASAT Youth Camp.
References
Black, L. (2019). Evaluating Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy. Asian Survey, 59(2), 246–271. Doi:10.1525/As.2019.59.2.246
Chong, J. I. (2019, April 10). Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy: Accomplishments And Perceptions. Politics & International Relations. Retrieved From Https://Www.Eastwestcenter.Org/Publications/Taiwan%E2%80%99s-New-Southbound-Policy-Accomplishments-And-Perceptions.
Hashmi, S. (2021). Perfecting Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy. The Diplomat. Retrieved From https://thediplomat.com/2021/0...
New Southbound Policy Portal. (2023). Retrieved From https://newsouthboundpolicy.tr...
Perkuhn, J. (2018). A Diplomatic Challenge For New Southbound Policy. Taiwan One Comment. Editor.
Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation. (2019). Yushan Forum. Retrieved From Https://Www.Taef.Org/2018 Yushanforum
Yang, A. H. (2018). Unpacking Taiwan’s Presence In Southeast Asia: The International Socialization Of The New Southbound Policy. In Issues &Amp; Studies (Vol. 54, Issue 01, P. 1840003). World Scientific Pub Co Pte Lt. Https://Doi.Org/10.1142/S10132...
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About the Author
Kha (Khanh Ha) Le, born in Nha Trang and brewed in Saigon, Vietnam, is a senior at Fulbright University Vietnam pursuing a BA in Vietnam Studies. As a non-binary transgender, their focus as a researcher and a policy advocator is gender diversity, equity, and
inclusivity, particularly in higher education in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Kha's experience and expertise focus on human rights advocacy, gender equity, gender diversity, and gender inclusivity.
Kha's Graduation Capstone project concerning the relationship between gender inclusivity and mental well-being. Beside being an alumnus of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Fellowship and a scholar of the CIMB ASEAN full-ride Scholarship, Kha is a Youth Leader of the US - Vietnam Leadership Cohort sponsored by the United States Institute of Peace and the Fulbright University Vietnam. Kha is also a poet who muses on alienation, estrangement, and loss.
Kha can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/le...