Chapter 1 Introduction
1.4 Research Method
國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
it promotes in a local and regional perspective. Foreign aid is being used in many cases to assure bilateral political survival either for trade commerce, business, or political support in certain global structure matters, and however, this far from ideal practice is implemented by many countries. The issue this thesis is looking to understand comes with the historic affirmation of the constant campaigns, on the Taiwanese government's part, to be considered the true representative of China, one of the reasons for its political preference for Democracy, promotion for rights, and progressiveness. The author would like to discuss whether this promotion is being put into practice in its allies, although many of them might not hold compatible political regimes.
This thesis holds as a purpose to examine whether Taiwan’s foreign aid has been allocated according to the principal of the country’s diplomatic policy that emphasizes democratic values and human rights. Two research questioned are raised accordingly
1. Are Taiwan’s democratic values reflected in the country’s foreign aid policy practice towards diplomatic allies?
2.Is Taiwan’s foreign aid allocation to diplomatic allies being used as a foreign policy tool or focusing on aid for development?
1.4 Research Method
The method this thesis adopts is a qualitative method, due to the nature of the topic, which addresses the perspective in which Taiwan executes its diplomatic and foreign aid policy with its allies, and whether the practices of these policies go in hand with the domestic democratic values, it so openly seeks.
Qualitative Method was defined in Aspers and Corte’s article20 “What is Qualitative in Qualitative Research” as:
“multi-method in focus, involving an interpretative, naturalistic approach to its subject matter.
This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them. Qualitative
20 Patrik Aspers and Ugo Cortes, “What is Qualitative in Qualitative Research,” Qualitative Sociology 42, no. 2 (2019): 139–160.
‧
國立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
research involves the studied use and collection of a variety of empirical materials – case study, personal experience, introspective, life story, interview, observational, historical, interactional, and visual texts – that describe routine and problematic moments and meanings in individuals’
lives.”21
This methodology provides different data recollection techniques to be put into practice; the ones that will be used for this research are in depth interviews and secondary literature analysis.
In depth interviews provide the opportunity to collect data directly from knowledgeable participants in a certain field, with the purpose of obtaining opinions, perspectives and experiences from the source. In depth interviews comprehend preparation and usually open questions, which have proving or disqualifying hypothesis as goals.22
The in-depth interviews proposed for this research will be coming mostly from Taiwan's perspective by including government institutions, experts in the Latin America field, Academia and Civil Society. However, there will also be representation from former government officials from Nicaragua.
The interviews proposed are the following:
1. MOFA Official:
MOFA was contacted to assist in this thesis; however, they declined;
2. ICDF Official:
ICDF officials were contacted to assist in this interview, and they respectfully declined;
however, they provided their 2019 and 2018 Annual Reports.
3. Taiwan Foundation for Democracy:
Interviews by any TFD representatives weren’t provided.
21 N. K. Denzin, and Y. S. Lincoln, "Introduction: Entering the field of qualitative research," In NK Denzin and YS Lincoln (eds.) Handbook of Qualitative Research, 1994, 2.
22 K. Brounéus, “In-depth Interviewing: The Process, Skill and Ethics of Interviews
in Peace Research,” In K. Höglund & M. Öberg, eds. Understanding Peace Research: Methods and Challenges.
(New York: Routledge, 2011), 130-144.
‧
國立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
4. National Chengchi University, Diplomacy Department Interviewee: 盧業中/ Yeh-Chung Lu (Ph. D.)
Position: Associate Professor Time and date: April 18th, 2020 Length: 521 words
Method: email Language: English
Objective: To understand the importance of Diplomatic ties and how they are managed from a realist and liberalist point of view.
5. Taiwanese Expert in the topic of Nicaragua
Interviewee: 楊建平/Antonio Chien-Ping Yang (Ph. D.)
Position: Researcher at Chihlee University of Technology, Latin America Economy and Trade Studies Center
First Interview:
Time and date: May 15th, 2020. 10:31am.
Length: 39:59 Method: In person
Location: Chihlee University of Technology.
Second Interview:
Time and date: April 24th, 2020. 11:22 am.
Length: 25:44 Method: In person
Location: Chihlee University of Technology.
Language: Spanish
Objective: This would help give a side view on how Taiwan views its relationship with Nicaragua and its cooperation towards this country, as well as a more significant understanding of Taiwanese view on Nicaragua's crisis.
‧
國立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
6. Latin America Taiwan Relations expert Interviewee: 向駿/ Antonio Hsiang (Ph. D.)
Position: Director of the Latin America Economy and Trade Studies Center in Chihlee University of Technology.
Time and date: April 23, 2020. 10:07am.
Length: 39:05 Method: In person
Location: Chihlee University of Technology Language: Spanish and English
Objective: This interview will help understand a more general perspective on Taiwan's interest in Latin America's allies and how Taiwan has reacted to the political crises in these countries.
To have a deeper understanding on the alliance of Democratic values pushed by Taiwan, topic which has been written by Yang in several occasions.
7.Nicaraguan International Relations Expert.
Interviewee: Jose Luis Antonio Velásquez (Ph. D.)
Position: Former Ambassador representing Nicaragua in the OAS (Organization of American States), Dean of Political Science at Thomas More University.
Time and date: May 1st- May 13th 2020 Length: 725 words
Method: email Language: Spanish
Objective: This interview will provide information as to how Nicaragua's government views Taiwan's alliance and aid.
On the other hand, to complement data, the use of secondary literature analysis is required. The importance of this data collection comes from the “interpretations and evaluations that are derived
‧
國立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
from or refer to the primary source literature. Examples include review articles (such as meta-analysis and systematic reviews) and reference works”23
This will be presented through the case study of Nicaragua, one of Taiwan’s allies. The country has been experiencing a political crisis, which involves civil and political repression, human rights abuse, limited freedom of speech, and has resulted in sanctions by multiple actors such as the United States, The Organization of American States (OAS), The European Union (EU), as well as its expulsion from some of the United Nations organisms. However, Taiwan still presents a strong tie with the country and continues to provide them with foreign aid.
This thesis will analyze and discuss Taiwan’s behavior within this case, whether it is utilizing foreign aid as a political tool, or it is aiming for development through the projects it finances. The main source of analysis will be primary and secondary sources of literature, that will describe Taiwan’s relation with the country, the allocation of its foreign aid, Taiwan’s reactions to the country’s political crisis and whether there has been a foreign policy change from Taiwan to Nicaragua due to the situation this country is going through.
These interviews, along with literature review, will support the discussion on how Taiwan manages its diplomatic ties and Foreign aid with allies that have controversial political systems, specifically Nicaragua.