This brief was given as testimony by Samantha Custer, AidData Director of Policy Analysis, before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues on March 26th, 2025. To watch a recording of that hearing, click here.
PRC Influence and the Status of Taiwan's Diplomatic Allies in the Western Hemisphere
Date Published
Mar 26, 2025
Authors
Samantha Custer
Publisher
Citation
Custer, S. (2025). PRC Influence and the Status of Taiwan's Diplomatic Allies in the Western Hemisphere. Williamsburg, VA: AidData at William & Mary.
Abstract
This brief contains testimony provided by AidData's Director of Policy Analysis, Samantha Custer, at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on March 26, 2025 on "PRC Influence and the Status of Taiwan’s Diplomatic Allies in the Western Hemisphere."
Custer's testimony draws on over a decade of AidData research into China's development finance and its use of soft power to answer three questions:
- How does the People’s Republic of China (PRC) influence the Western Hemisphere?
- In what ways does the PRC’s economic power constrain Taiwan’s ability to attract and retain diplomatic allies?
- What are the key battlegrounds for influence, vulnerabilities, and opportunities for U.S. interests?
It concludes by highlighting eight opportunities worth considering for the U.S. to help Taiwan retain existing allies and attract new ones.
Note: These remarks represent the author's own views and do not reflect the official position of AidData at William & Mary’s Global Research Institute, nor any of the funders of AidData's research.
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