The international diplomatic presence in Taiwan has seen a significant increase, confirming the island’s increased role on the global stage. According to Nikkei Asia, Taipei welcomed about 400 diplomats in 2024 – a full 300 more than the previous year.
This trend is particularly visible with countries such as the US, UK and Japan significantly increasing their representation in Taiwan. The report highlights that diplomatic assignments in Taipei, which were previously considered less prestigious compared to those in mainland China, are now seen as key to foreign policy.
In addition to the purely political aspects, diplomatic missions are strengthening their cooperation with local institutes and academic organizations. The executive director of the Taiwanese think tank DSET, Jeremy Chih-Cheng Chang, said that projects in areas such as energy, semiconductors and drone technology are key areas of cooperation.
The largest diplomatic presence in the country is the United States through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) - the de facto embassy in Washington. In the past year, Taiwan has welcomed more than 110 American diplomats - a significant increase from 80 in 2022, while AIT employees have reached more than 550 people.
Former US ambassador and director of AIT (2006-2009) Stephen Young said that this growth is indicative of Taiwan's growing international recognition as a technological power, as well as concerns about its security in the face of threats from China. But he worries that Donald Trump's return to the presidency could lead to a decline in the US diplomatic presence in Taiwan. "I worry that Trump might try to reduce the number of staff. But Taiwan has a lot of friends in both the House and the Senate. So he would face a lot of resistance if he tried," Young said.
Japan is also increasing its presence - with 40 diplomats by 2024, up from 25 the previous year. The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has increased its staff from about 50 to 110 in the past five years.
Meanwhile, Australia maintains more than 50 staff in its Taiwan office, including a person responsible for military and defense affairs. The German Institute in Taipei also announced an expansion of its political department and staff responsible for consular services - a change related to TSMC's investments in Germany.
The Czech Republic, Sweden and the European Union also reported expansion of their teams - evidence of Taiwan's growing strategic and economic weight internationally.