| Summary/Abstract |
This special issue discusses the roles played by two ‘middle powers’ in the Indo-Pacific region: Taiwan and South Korea. It examines their attempts to use regional policy to decrease their dependence on the great powers and thereby reduce their overall level of marginalisation and subordination. The two states find themselves navigating through a complex geopolitical landscape amid US–China rivalry while, at the same time, working to meet their own challenges in regional affairs. In recent years, both have aimed to diversify their relationships and expand their presence across the wider region with a ‘New Southbound Policy’ (NSP-T), in the case of Taiwan, and a ‘New Southern Policy’ (NSP-K), in the case of South Korea. Both policies are aimed at important neighbours, namely Southeast Asia and India, major recipients of Taiwanese and South Korean capital, technology, cultural influence and educational aid.
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