During the 9th Yushan Forum, the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) officially launched the survey report “The Image of Taiwan and Taiwanese Businesses in Australia,” highlighting how Taiwan and Taiwanese enterprises are perceived by Australian businesspeople and identifying opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation.
The report launch took place as a sideline event of the Yushan Forum, bringing together representatives from Taiwan and Australia, including Dr. Michael Hsiao, Chairman of the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation; Dr. Alan H. Yang, Executive Director of the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation; Daniel Stuart, Deputy Representative of the Australian Office in Taipei; and Glenn Lio, Executive Director of the Australia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan, alongside international guests and forum participants.
Opening the event, Dr. Michael Hsiao noted that the “Image of Taiwan and Taiwanese Businesses” report has now entered its seventh year. Through long-term and systematic research, the series examines levels of familiarity and favorability toward Taiwan and Taiwanese businesses across different societies, which serves as a key motivation for the continuation of the project. The Australia-focused survey indicates that Taiwan is widely recognized for its technological strengths, friendly image, and employment opportunities. The findings also highlight a strong sense of trust between Taiwan and Australia. Chairman Hsiao emphasized that such systematic research helps deepen understanding of Taiwan’s international image and contributes to strengthening engagement and cooperation with partners across the Indo-Pacific.
Deputy Representative Daniel Stuart stated that Taiwan and Australia have long maintained close economic and trade relations, with people-to-people exchanges, trade, and investment forming the foundation of bilateral ties. Citing survey findings, he noted that over 90 per cent of respondents hold positive views of Taiwanese businesses, indicating a solid foundation of trust and strong potential for further growth. He added that the research provides a valuable reference for both policymakers and industry stakeholders and will further enhance bilateral cooperation.
The report was presented by Executive Director Alan H. Yang of TAEF, who outlined the key findings and policy implications. He noted that since its launch in 2019, the survey series has employed both quantitative data analysis and qualitative methods, including focus group discussions, to track perceptions of Taiwan across Indo-Pacific societies. The research aims to inform policy recommendations that strengthen Taiwan’s international engagement and promote regional cooperation.
Executive Director Yang further noted that, based on the report, Taiwan ranks fifth globally in terms of business reputation—behind the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany, and on par with Singapore. In terms of overall national image, Taiwan ranks sixth, surpassing countries such as Japan, Switzerland, France, and New Zealand, reflecting Taiwan’s strong competitiveness and positive reputation in the international community.
In 2025, Australia was selected as the focus country for the latest edition of the survey, reflecting the growing importance of Taiwan–Australia cooperation in areas such as trade, technology, education, and regional security.
The event concluded with a group photo featuring the keynote speakers, marking the official launch of the report at the Yushan Forum.
About the Research Series
Since 2019, the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation has conducted the research series “The Image of Taiwan and Taiwanese Businesses”, which examines perceptions of Taiwan and Taiwanese enterprises in partner countries across the Indo-Pacific. The project seeks to provide empirical insights into Taiwan’s international image while identifying opportunities to strengthen cooperation between Taiwan and its regional partners.
Image of Taiwan and Taiwanese Businesses: • Image of Taiwan and Taiwanese Businesses - Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation 財團法人臺灣亞洲交流基金會
About the Yushan Forum
Since its founding in 2017, the Yushan Forum: Asian Dialogue for Innovation and Progress has served as a core platform for Asian regional discussion on Taiwan’s implementation of the New Southbound Policy (NSP). The forum, hosted by the Taiwan-Exchange Foundation (TAEF), seeks to increase exchange of ideas, talent, technologies and social initiatives between Taiwan and NSP partner countries, and to foster multilateral cooperation between nations in the Indo-Pacific, as well as Australia and New Zealand. To achieve this, the forum brings together important figures in both the public and private sectors of like-minded countries across Asia and the Pacific, including political leaders, policy makers, heads of industry and innovative professionals, providing a space to discuss crucial topics such as regional stability, collective economic growth, and disaster prevention and aid through the framework of the NSP.
Yushan Forum website: https://www.yushanforum.org/
Photos to the Yushan Forum Opening Ceremony can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1c1xaBrJMVbjK1C9pOWHYkpAve5Kg2U9Q