Foreign policy, traditionally focused on state-led decision-making and policy implementation, has undergone profound changes due to globalization and democratization. Civil society, particularly think tanks, alongside the growing emphasis on soft power and warm power, now significantly shape policy agendas, moving beyond the conventional reliance on hard power. These transformations mark new frontiers in foreign policy analysis. This chapter explores three key dimensions of these evolving dynamics. First, it examines the role of civil society and think tanks, in particular, emphasizing the concept of think tank diplomacy. Second, it investigates the incorporation of soft power and warm power into foreign policy frameworks. Finally, it presents three case studies from the Indo-Pacific region—Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy (NSP-T), South Korea’s New Southern Policy (NSP-K), and Australia’s New Southeast Asia Economic Strategy. By drawing on these examples of middle powers, the chapter provides fresh perspectives on contemporary foreign policy analysis.
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