A Bridge for Taiwan's Global Future

To foster international and cross-Strait communication for world peace.
The Association of Foreign Relations (AFR) is a non-profit global outreach organization in Taiwan, founded in December 2013by a group of diverse and experienced government officials, entrepreneurs, NGO leaders, and academics.

A non-partisan liaison between Taiwan’s civil society and government/private entities, AFR aims to support them with strengthening their global/regional economic, social and cultural relationships while facilitating cross-Strait and global/ regional initiatives at the grassroots level. In 2003, AFR established its ASEAN Center, convening a group to work specifically on exchanges and consultations focusing on Southeast Asia.

   Selected Past Events
   Asia

•Speech event for Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, former Prime Minister of Malaysia, in Taipei.
•Speech event for Hon. Noda Yoshihiko, former Prime Minister of Japan, in Taipei.
•Roundtable with former Indian National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon in Taipei.
•MOU with the Indonesian Association of International Affairs and a speech event at Universitas Indonesia in Jakarta, Indonesia.
•Roundtable with Korean Delegation led by Amb. Sanghoon Cho and Amb. Sunjin Lee, former deputy ministers of the Republic of Korea Foreign Ministry, in Taipei.
•Meetings with think tanks in Beijing and Shanghai, including China Institute of International Studies’ then-president and Tsinghua University Foreign Affairs College Professor Dr. Su Ge.

Europe

•Meeting with UK’s Trade Envoy to Taiwan Lord Richard Faulkner on his Taipei visit.
•Symposium on Open Knowledge and Leadership with Dr. Rufus Pollock, founder of the UK Open Knowledge Foundation, in Taipei.
•Meeting with a UK delegation of the Members of the House of Commons in Taipei.
•Symposium on “Global Security and the Rule of Law” with Giulio Terzi, former Minister of Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Taipei.
•MOU with Farefuturo Fondazione, headed by former Italian Minister of Economic Development Adolfo Urso in Rome, Italy.
•Forum on the Future of the EU with panelists Dr. Istrvan Kiss and Dr. Csaba Horvath from the Danube Institute, Hungary, in Taipei.

America

•Panel with Amb. Susan M. Elliot and the National Committee on American Foreign Policy delegation.
•Partnered with Brookings Institution’s Center for East Asia Policy Studies and the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Fei He China Lecture in the “Cross-Strait Relations Review and Future Prospects” International Seminar in Washington D.C.
•Meeting with the delegation from World Affairs Councils of America.
•”Southeast Asia Think Tank Regional Workshop” co-organized with the Center for International Private Enterprise in Taipei.
•Joint meeting with Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), co-moderated by AFR Secretary-General Kwei-Bo Huang and then-AFR Director for Asia Studies Elizabeth Economy.
 

Our Mission

Communication and empathy are the cornerstones of all healthy relations. The world has become so deeply interconnected that economics, trade, science, technology, and even cultural values are shared by multiple state and non-state actors. Dialogue and exchange have thus become more important than ever before. As a result, AFR strives to serve as a non-profit, non-partisan group which promotes Taiwan’s value and unique resources with the global community. It seeks to foster lasting relationships, both cross-Strait and beyond, to uphold the image and significance of Taiwan, ROC.

 

Our Objectives

  • Assisting the ROC government in its effort to improve international and cross-Strait cooperation as a liaison and bridge
  • Promoting peace and stability in the Asia Pacific as the initiator of meaningful and constructive dialogue
  • Upholding the image and status of Taiwan, ROC

What We Do

To foster effective communication between the Republic of China
(Taiwan) and her partners, AFR strives to
•Develop unique opportunities for foreign dignitaries to engage with Taiwan through sponsored events;
•Serve as liaison between private/public sectors and domestic/foreign civil organizations;
•Research and undertake various forms of promoting international partnership and cross-Strait exchange;
•Advocate for greater awareness of Taiwan’s grassroots communities regarding international trends and major world affairs.