Taiwan using think tanks, forums to grow diplomacy By Lu Yi-hsuan and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writer Continuing its longstanding tradition of informal diplomacy, Taiwan has in the past few years been increasingly focusing on think tanks and forums as a means to expand relationships with countries in Southeast Asia and Europe. Caught in a unique geopolitical situation, the nation has long relied on informal and semi-informal channels to communicate with like-minded nations. This has often involved think tanks, which hold forums with their foreign counterparts on critical issues such as regional security, health and innovation. In addition to those set up under the direction of government ministries, such as the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), there are also private organizations, including the Institute for National Policy Research (INPR).