In recent years, Taiwan has emerged as a regional leader in LGBT rights, with its legalization of same-sex marriage in 2019 marking a pivotal moment. Beyond legal reforms, Taiwan leverages its progressive stance through the production and dissemination of LGBT-themed media and film, becoming a soft power tool in the Indo-Pacific. Films such as Dear Ex and Your Name Engraved Herein not only showcase Taiwan’s cultural diversity but also serve as mechanisms to shape perceptions of Taiwan as a modern, inclusive society.

This paper explores how Taiwan’s LGBT media and film contribute to its soft power in the Indo-Pacific, positioning Taiwan as a beacon of liberal values amidst regional conservatism. It examines the reception of these media portrayals in neighboring countries with varying degrees of LGBT acceptance, from liberal democracies like Japan to conservative societies such as Indonesia and Malaysia. Additionally, it analyzes the role of film co-productions between Taiwan and other East Asian nations in promoting progressive values, fostering cultural exchange, and expanding Taiwan’s influence.

By focusing on the intersection of media, LGBT rights, and soft power, this study highlights the challenges and opportunities Taiwan faces in using cultural diplomacy to shape its international image. The research offers a critical look at the limits of Taiwan’s LGBT soft power in the broader context of Indo-Pacific geopolitics and cultural dynamics.

History as a tool for nation-building can be incredibly powerful, whether the hand is right or wrong. This paper looks at China and seeks to evaluate the role of history in Beijing’s Taiwan policy, arguing its fundamental part in attempts to bind China and the unwilling Taiwan. Utilising qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, this paper is divided into two sections: first, the methods of applied historical revisionism will be assessed, encompassing the weaponisation of ethnicity and historical ties in stripping Taiwanese autonomy. Second, a disproval of the former, highlighting the blatant historical lies, selectiveness of primary sources and legal irregularities that form the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ‘One-China’ policy. Taiwan’s separation from the mainland has been an embarrassing stain on the CCP and Xi Jinping is pushing harder than ever for reunification, employing constructivism theory to do so – we see history be manipulated in real-time.

This paper analyses Taiwan’s foreign policy towards the United States using Veto Player Theory to explain the differing outcomes in arms purchases during the first administrations of Presidents Chen Shui-bian (2000–2004) and Tsai Ing-wen (2016–2020). While Taiwan and the Taiwan-Strait have become a focal point of current international relations, the field of International Relations is still short of literature with Taiwan’s foreign policy not as the object but as the subject. Combining public policy theory and International Relations, the study identifies key veto players, both formal and informal, who influenced decision-making processes regarding arms procurement from the U.S., such as the Legislative Yuan (LY), the Executive Yuan (EY), and external actors like China and the United States. By applying George Tsebelis' veto player framework, the thesis investigates why Chen Shui-bian was unable to execute his planned arms deals, while Tsai Ing-wen succeeded in securing significant arms packages. The research finds that the constellation and foreign policy preferences of veto players, particularly the alignment of interests within Taiwan’s legislative bodies, as well as external geopolitical pressures, critically shaped the outcomes of Taiwan’s arms procurement policy. Actors anticipate the decisions and preferences of formal and informal veto players and take measures accordingly. The study concludes that the structure and cohesiveness of veto players within Taiwan's political system were decisive in enabling or hindering policy change, offering insights into how future administrations, especially the current Taiwanese government mirroring Chen Shui-bian’s first administration, might navigate similar challenges.

This dissertation explores how clothing shaped Tsai Ing-Wen as the first female president of the Republic of China (ROC) between 2016 and 2024. Led by the question “Do clothes matter?”, I will examine how her wardrobe choices were deployed to gain credibility as a political leader. By comparing former and current female leaders globally, I will analyse how the convergence of fashion and politics occurred in a Taiwanese setting. To assess how clothes shaped her leadership in a male-dominated sphere, I will couple feminist theories like Judith Butler’s gender performativity with existing debates on the implications of Tsai's presidency on gender equality, as raised by W.A. Tang, E.J. Teng. The methodology used will include image sampling from her election campaigns in 2016 and 2020 respectively, along with the period of her two terms in office. Additionally, local and international news reports regarding her image will also be utilised to identify the positive and negative attitudes towards her choice of dress and their implications on a wider social scale. Due to limited literature available on Tsai specifically, my research will be supported by global studies on fashion’s role in politics, as well as feminist work on female participation in Taiwanese politics. Fashion is political and, in this dissertation, I will argue that it provides a fresh perspective on existing studies on her leadership. In short, I will argue that Tsai Ing-Wen cannot be comprehensively understood as a leader if one does not take a look at what she’s wearing.

Taiwan’s declining birthrate has been on its government’s radar since the 1980s, and on an international stage when it was labelled as a national security issue in 2006. Reasons given for this are numerous, but few focus on Taiwan’s future: its youth. This research explores how Taiwan’s young women are shaping the future of their society through their views on romantic relationships and sex – namely, whether women see marriage as a formality to their relationship with no real purpose and how the rise internet dating culture, one-night stands and unofficial but exclusive relationships have affected the perception of traditional romantic relationships.

Often in direct opposition to media portrayal and pressures, young Taiwanese women are engaging in more pre-marital sex and leaning towards love matches for marriage. Additionally, the new digital dating scene, offering platforms such as Omi and Tinder allow these women to explore what they want from romantic partnerships through organic and digital means. Through quantitative analysis of survey data available via Academica Sinica, we investigate how dating trends have changed over the years. Furthermore, by interviewing the focus group of 18-25 year old heterosexual Taiwanese women living in Taiwan, we also develop a more qualitive understanding of Taiwan’s contemporary dating society. Through these approaches, we explore how changing views on romantic relationships have affected marriage age and, naturally, birthrate.

Southeast Asian scam centres found themselves in the global spotlight over the summer of 2022 when western media reported on their use of people trafficked from overseas. This was followed by many reports in Taiwanese media of Taiwanese victims being trapped in these scam centres. This leads to the question of how well Taiwan has supported its own citizens who have been trafficked. My dissertation will explore the different approaches to helping Taiwanese victims of these scam centres, looking at both the government’s response and that of civil society (including NGOs). To do this, my dissertation will focus on the evidence provided at international conferences, allowing me to analyse the government and civil society's response to the problem. I will also examine media reports and conduct interviews with activists and conference participants where possible, to gain an understanding of the approaches used and their effectiveness in dealing with this issue.