Finland–Taiwan Relations: An Overview and Changes after COVID-19 Pandemic
Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: Despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations between Finland and Taiwan, the two sides have maintained a practical relationship through trade, tourism, and educational and cultural exchanges. The COVID-19 pandemic has created some favorable ground for certain breakthroughs, be it in terms of the Finnish government’s action plan to support Taiwan’s meaningful international participation, Finnish media reports that offer more diverse views on Taiwan’s society beyond international politics, or a Finnish parliamentarian’s help in implementing Taiwan’s mask diplomacy in the Finnish context. In general, the Foreign Ministry in Finland has been vigilant in ensuring that the One China Policy does not become unnecessarily restrictive. Finland has been quietly raising the profile of bilateral relations with Taiwan. Although trade was disrupted at the beginning of the pandemic, it managed to grow afterwards. In sum, the pandemic did stall tourism but not bilateral trade. In addition, Taiwan’s overall visibility appears to have grown in Finnish society, as exemplified in the increasing coverage of Taiwan-related news in Finland’s largest newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.
Source: Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja
Authors: Chen, Julie Yu-Wen, Kallio, Jyrki
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7197512145