SWOT and Cross-domain Strategy Analysis of Taiwan's New South Bound Policy with Allison Chao

Part of the Sigur Center's Visiting Scholar Roundtable Series

Taiwan's "New Southbound Policy" aims to secure new regional partners in South and Southeast Asia and to seek to lessen Taiwan's economic reliance on the mainland by building an extensive network of cultural and interpersonal relationships throughout the region. Taiwan's government has integrated the resources and strengths of the public and private sectors in order to forge a mutually beneficial model of cooperation and create a sense of economic community with targeted countries. This study focuses on SWOT and Cross-domain Strategy Analysis to examine Taiwan's "New Southbound Policy" as a rolling reference for follow-up foreign policy planning.

Allison Chao was born in Taipei, Taiwan. She holds a B.A. in International Politics from National Taiwan University, a master's degree in International Law and Diplomacy, National Chengchi University, and also studied at Oxford University in Great Britain. After college, Chao joined the Ministry of Foreign Service in 1998. Early in her career, Chao served as a Desk Officer at the Congressional Liaison Office, conducting the communications between Taiwan's Congress and Foreign Ministry. Afterwards, she worked as a Third and Second Secretary at the at Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Kansas City, MO in the U.S. (2002-2008), senior desk officer for the Philippines and Brunei affairs at the Department of East Asian Affairs, MOFA (2008-2009), Section Chief on International Aid, NGO Committee, MOFA (2010-2012). Later on, she served as a Principal Officer at Taiwan's Embassy in the Marshall Islands (2012-2014) and Taipei Economic and Trade Office, Jakarta, Indonesia (2014-2015), during which her primary responsibility was policy oversight and providing Taiwan's foreign aid to these countries.