TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan should boost its civil diplomacy to forge stronger global alliances, Mariia Makarovych, the head of the Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine’s East Asia office, said on Monday.

Taiwan needs to promote itself abroad through NGOs and civil society organizations to garner global support for Taiwan and counter Chinese propaganda or other “harmful narratives,” Makarovych told Taiwan News.

So far, Makarovych said Taiwan has made “a lot of really promising good steps” in terms of traditional foreign diplomacy. She pointed to its close ties with the US and Europe’s increasing focus on Taiwan. However, she urged more people-to-people exchanges and cooperation spearheaded by Taiwanese. 

She warned that if no action was taken, it could lead to dangerous consequences. A public lack of awareness about Taiwan may cause voters in a country to question their government’s support for the East Asian nation. 

Simultaneously, Beijing may step up misinformation campaigns through the Chinese AI-model DeepSeek and TikTok app to sway public opinion on Taiwan, she said.

Ukraine learned very early in its decade-long fight against Russian aggression the value of civil diplomacy, which is why the LDLU opened its East Asian office in Taipei approximately 18 months ago, Makarovych said.

The LDLU, established in 2015, has been promoting Taiwan in Ukraine for nearly 10 years, she said. “We talked with people and tried to convince them that it’s important to work with Taiwan and (to) be very careful with work with China,” she said. 

By limiting engagement with China, Ukraine can reduce Beijing’s influence on its economy, Makarovych said, adding that people thought they were crazy at the time.

The office head said Taiwan “is a democratic, reliable partner,” which is why it is a priority to deepen Taiwan-Ukraine cooperation. The best way to achieve this is through mutual understanding of each other’s history, society, and political situation, she said. “You can be more open for cooperation when you … are more informed.”

Makarovych’s comments come as Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has pledged to continue cooperating with the international community to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Taiwan is also contributing to the Eastern European country’s reconstruction. 

Additionally, Taiwan is engaging with Ukrainian companies on how to bolster resilience during a conflict. Some creative strategies include integrating supermarkets into the government's supply distribution network and using taxi services for medical emergencies, per Reuters.