Engaging non-state actors: the transnational politics of Taiwan’s foreign policy in Southeast Asia

This thesis examines how and why the state has engaged with non-state actors in foreign policy, how the state has utilised non-state actors, and the ways in which non-state actors are useful in promoting the state’s foreign policy. Drawing from interviews, participant observation, and desk research, this research highlights the centrality of Taiwan’s domestic and international structures in analysing the engagement and interaction between state and non-state actors in Taiwan’s foreign policy. The nonstate actors discussed in this thesis include Southeast Asian students, alumni of Taiwan’s universities, and migrant workers, as well as Taiwanese business people and think tanks.