Taiwan’s Southbound Drive towards Southeast Asia <subtitle>Expanding Economic and People-to-People Ties from Ma Ying-jeou to Tsai Ing-wen</subtitle>

Abstract

This article examines Taiwan’s foreign policy towards Southeast Asia during Ma Ying-jeou’s two-term (2008–2016) and Tsai Ing-wen’s first-term (2016–2020) presidencies. It discusses the context of East Asian regionalisation and regionalism, and Ma’s and Tsai’s primary objectives for their strategies in relation to the ASEAN region. With a focus on their trade, investment, tourism and higher education policies towards the region, this article evaluates how successful their polices have been in achieving the goals in the relevant areas.