U.S. fellowship participants will not access classified Taiwan data: MOFA

Résumé détaillé

U.S. federal government employees participating in a new study program in Taiwan will not have access to sensitive or confidential Taiwanese government information, Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) said Thursday.

Taipei, Nov. 12 (CNA)U.S. federal government employees participating in a new study program in Taiwan will not have access to sensitive or confidential Taiwanese government information, Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) said Thursday.

The Taiwan Fellowship Program (TFP)offers participants training in regional and language studies, with the aim of helping them gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan, Chen told reporters on the sidelines of a legislative hearing.

"This [program] does not involve the use of classified information," he said. "In other words, the participants will not handle sensitive or confidential material. Its scope is limited to routine administrative and policy matters."

The Taiwan and U.S. governments announced Wednesday that they had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) the previous day to launch the TFP.

The program will allow eligible U.S. federal government employees to receive up to one year of intensive Mandarin language training and pursue regional studies in Taiwan, according to the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which represents U.S. interests in Taipei in the absence of official diplomatic ties.

Upon completing their training, the participants are expected to work for up to one year in Taiwan legislative offices, government ministries and agencies, or organizations outside the public sector, the AIT said in a press release Wednesday.

The program aims to expand and strengthen the U.S.-Taiwan partnership and enhance American officials' expertise on Taiwan and cross-strait issues, according to the AIT.

"The TFP will build a group of federal professionals with language skills, cultural knowledge, and lasting working relationships across Taiwan," the AIT said.

The program was authorized and is being funded by the U.S. government under the Taiwan Fellowship Act, which was signed into law in 2022 under then-U.S. President Joe Biden as part of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023.

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