Taiwan is sending dancers, folk musicians and food vendors to Poland next month in a soft-power push aimed at winning friends in Europe while its formal diplomatic ties stay squeezed.

• A two-day "Taiwan Day" runs Sept. 11-12 in the Polish cities of Lodz and Opole, with folk arts, contemporary dance and a street bazaar.
• Food is the hook: dumplings pitched as Taiwan's answer to Polish pierogi, plus bubble tea and Taiwanese tea.
• Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim framed the tour as an invitation for Europeans to visit Taiwan in person.
• Hsiao said Taiwan's goodwill has not wavered despite its difficulties in official diplomatic relations — culture is the workaround.
• The dance troupe is also performing in Austria and Hungary in September, widening the reach across central Europe.

Outlook: Expect more of these culture-first tours through Europe as Taiwan leans on public goodwill where formal diplomacy is blocked.