Taiwan is leaning on bubble tea, breakfast shops and convenience stores as a soft-power export tool, a mild positive for the island's small businesses and its push for international visibility.

• Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim called Taiwan's franchise and chain industry the island's most grassroots and most effective form of "food diplomacy."
• Taiwan is hosting the World Franchise Council's annual meeting for the first time in 12 years, alongside an international franchise expo and global forum.
• The chain sector pulls in food suppliers, smart equipment, cold-chain logistics and digital services, making it a backbone for small and mid-sized firms.
• The government plans more help with brand building, overseas market access and digital upgrades through the economics ministry, the overseas community affairs council and foreign ministry.
• Hsiao said she took Lithuania's former defense minister to a typical Taiwanese breakfast shop to show everyday life on the island.

Outlook: Expect Taipei to keep pairing trade promotion with diplomatic outreach, using consumer brands to build name recognition abroad where formal ties are blocked.