Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation

Founded in 2018, the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) is Taiwan’s first policy-oriented think tank focusing on Southeast and South Asian affairs, and on advancing the New Southbound Policy (NSP) and NSP+, as well as advocating for Taiwan’s Indo-Pacific strategy. TAEF fosters collaboration between Taiwan and partners across ASEAN, South Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, spearheading the NSP+ Think Tank, Youth, and NGO Corridors to strengthen regional community-building and long-term cooperation with like-minded partners. With the aim of deepening regional ties and supporting Taiwan’s role in the Indo-Pacific, TAEF advances this mission through research, dialogue, and sustained partnerships.

TAEF’s leadership and impact have been widely recognised. It was nominated as one of the Best New Think Tanks in the 2018 and 2019 Global Go To Think Tank Index Reports, and was ranked the Global Best New Think Tank by the University of Pennsylvania’s Think Tank and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) in 2020.

TAEF is also a major regional convener, hosting the annual Yushan Forum (since 2018) and the biennial Think Tank Summit (since 2025), which serve as international platforms for strategic dialogue and policy coordination across the Indo-Pacific.

The foundation’s work is carried out through five core programmes: Think Tank Collaboration, Regional Resilience, Cultural Exchange, Civil Society Connectivity, and Young Leaders Engagement.