U.S. Congress proposes sending officials to Taiwan to learn Chinese? Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry welcomes plus thanks

The 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden, was inaugurated on the 20th, and Taiwan‘s representative to the United States, Michelle Hsiao, was invited to attend the Inauguration ceremony.

Members of the U.S. Congress recently introduced the “Taiwan Scholarship Act” in the House and Senate respectively, which plans to provide scholarships for U.S. officials to study Chinese in Taiwan and strengthen the strategic partnership with Taiwan. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed and thanked the proposal.

The Central News Agency (CNA) reported: Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Ou Jiang’an expressed his gratitude to the U.S. Congress for continuing to actively promote the deepening of Taiwan-U.S. exchanges and cooperation in various fields through various pieces of legislation in recent years, and this bill once again demonstrates the high level of cross-party support for Taiwan-U.S. relations in the U.S. House and Senate.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to deepen substantive exchanges between Taiwan and the U.S. in language and professional fields, and will continue to monitor the subsequent deliberations of the bill, while working with the U.S. executive branch to promote bilateral cooperation in more areas, Ou said.

Democratic Chairman Edward Markey (D-MA) and Republican Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) of the U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee’s Asia-Pacific Subcommittee, as well as Democratic Chairman Ami Bera (D-CA) and Republican Ranking Member Steve Chabot (R-CA) of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Asia-Pacific Subcommittee, respectively, introduced the bill in the House and Senate on October 10, 2010. The House and Senate reintroduced the Taiwan Fellowship Act, which was not previously on the agenda.

According to a press release issued by Markey, the Taiwan Fellowship Act builds on the strategic partnership between the United States and Taiwan. Through intensive linguistic, cultural and political immersion in Taiwanese ministries or civic institutions, U.S. officials will build long-term professional relationships and knowledge. The passage of this bill will also demonstrate the United States’ continued commitment to its partnership with Taiwan.