Development Assistance and Communication: The Case of the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund

Abstract

This article argues that international development assistance projects are an ideal way for governments to communicate social values to international audiences and also to consolidate support or seek legitimacy from its domestic public. The case study for this article is the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund. The text argues that this organization should sit at the forefront of the Taiwan government's communications strategy because of recent trends in political communications and also circumstances specific to Taiwan's domestic and international political situation. The research found that the ICDF has taken on more political communications responsibilities in recent years as a result of changes in Taiwan's international political circumstances and the evolution of a democratic society at home.

The Soft Power of Development: Aid and Assistance as Public Diplomacy Activities

“…(Yen, 2013) Nevertheless, Yen was adamant that Taiwan's contemporary intent was more philanthropic. This was despite a volume of evidence to the contrary (see Alexander, 2014a and2015).…”