TAIPEI, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Some US federal employees will work in Taiwan government offices for up to one year under a new scheme to strengthen already close ties between Taipei and Washington, the de facto US embassy said on Wednesday.
The United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, but is its most important international backer and arms supplier — a persistent sticking point in its relations with Beijing.
Under the new Taiwan Fellowship Program, which is funded under Washington’s 2023 Taiwan Fellowship Act, US federal employees will spend up to one year in intensive Mandarin language training and studies.
“Upon completion of training, the Fellows are expected to work, for up to one year, in Taiwan parliamentary offices, ministries, other agencies or offices, or organisations outside the public sector in Taiwan,” the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement.
The main objectives of the programme are to expand and strengthen the US-Taiwan partnership, as well as US officials’ expertise regarding Taiwan, it added, without saying how many people would take part each year.
The programme will build a group of federal professionals with language skills, cultural knowledge and “lasting working relationships across Taiwan”.
The memorandum of understanding for the programme was signed on Tuesday in the United States, it added.
“TFP reflects strong bipartisan support for the US-Taiwan relationship and a shared commitment to the people-to-people ties at its core,” AIT Managing Director Ingrid Larson said in the statement.
In 1994, the US Congress established a similar scheme for Japan, called the Mike Mansfield Fellowship.
AIT’s large, fortress-like office in Taipei functions like an embassy.
China says Taiwan is its most important and sensitive diplomatic issue and has repeatedly demanded Washington curtail its contacts with Taipei and end arms sales.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are due to meet next week for the third time this year on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders summit in Shenzhen.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by John Mair)
