ABSTRACT
On arrival at Taipei’s international airport travellers are greeted with signs telling them that Taiwan is ‘The Heart of Asia’. This phrase forms a central part of the government’s branding strategy. However, the expression is at best worthless or redundant, at worst confusing or even counterproductive, but it is indicative of the uncertainty that characterises Taiwan’s public diplomacy. Taiwan is an island on the edge of Asia, it is not therefore in the ‘heart’ of Asia so to speak. Moreover, while the island is somewhat heart-shaped, Taiwan is diplomatically isolated, making it difficult to conduct international affairs with its neighbours. It is not therefore a nucleus of sorts which gives life, socially, economically or politically, to the rest of Asia. The phrase would be better suited to a country like Thailand, which is in the centre of the Asian landmass, and has a mega-city in Bangkok, which reaches out to the rest of the continent both socially and economically. What makes Taiwan’s choice of slogan all the more confusing is that, in interviews with the author, the island’s public diplomats have talked about their frustration over being confused with Thailand by publics around the world.
