The case for smart diplomacy: Evidence from Taiwan's New Southbound Policy

Abstract

How do small states create potent foreign policy? This article argues that small states like Taiwan, Mongolia, and Singapore create effective foreign policy by engaging in smart diplomacy. Smart diplomacy, we argue, is an approach whereby smaller states must choose rational foreign policy objectives in a targeted region they can attain through a mix of soft power and niche national branding. We further argue that for most small states, their foreign policy options are limited, and smart diplomacy is the most rational way forward. By analyzing Taiwan's New Southbound Policy as a framework for smart diplomacy, this article argues that a small state will need to engage in smart diplomacy as it seeks to engage its neighbors in the region on people-to-people basis rather than through traditional diplomacy. To achieve that, it would need a clear national brand and niche expertise it can offer its partners.