A group of students and young professionals from the United States is in Taiwan as part of a new foreign ministry program called “Mosaic Taiwan.”
Vice Foreign Minister Vanessa Shih spoke at the program’s opening on Monday. She said that over the past 35 years, ties between Taiwan and the United States have been close. She said that both sides share the values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Not only are there regular exchanges between high-ranking officials, there continue to be a variety of other types of substantive exchanges as well.
Meanwhile, Shih said Taiwan is hoping for even greater economic cooperation with the United States.
“We hope that Washington supports our bid to enter into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and that negotiations for a bilateral investment agreement (BIA) between Taiwan and the US can be started as soon as possible," said Shih. "We believe that this economic integration and regulatory harmonization continue to be enhanced in the region. Taiwan will remain a most worthy partner of the US in the Asia-Pacific.”
As for the goal of the Mosaic Taiwan program, Shih said that it is different from similar programs that the ministry has held in the past. This program, she said, is geared toward future leaders.
Between now and July 5th, participants will take part in team-building and leadership development exercises. They will also join in workshops and lectures on topics involving Taiwan, which are aimed at fostering a better understanding of Taiwan’s culture, national development and way of life.