The United States and Taiwan have signed an agreement allowing American federal employees to work in Taiwanese government offices for up to a year.
Under the Taiwan Fellowship Program, participants will receive intensive Mandarin-language training and regional studies before taking assignments in Taiwan’s legislature, government ministries, other agencies, or organizations outside the public sector.
The agreement was signed Nov. 10 in Arlington, Virginia, by Ingrid Larson, Washington managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), and Alexander Yui, Taiwan’s representative to the United States.
The signing launches implementation of the program, in coordination with the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, according to a Nov. 11 AIT statement.
The program aims to develop American federal employees’ expertise on Taiwan and lasting professional relationships with Taiwanese counterparts.
The United States maintains no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan and conducts unofficial relations through AIT.
Beijing claims self-governing Taiwan as part of its territory, although the Chinese Communist Party has never governed the island and opposes official contacts between Washington and Taipei.
How the Fellowship Works
The program offers fellowships lasting up to two years, generally divided between language and regional training and a subsequent work assignment in Taiwan.
During their placements, participants may work in Taiwan’s legislative offices, ministries, or other government agencies. They may also join organizations outside the public sector whose work relates to their federal responsibilities.
Applicants must have at least two years of U.S. government experience, a relevant professional or educational background involving the Indo-Pacific region, and a commitment to continued federal service.
Federal law requires fellows to refrain from engaging in intelligence or intelligence-related activities on behalf of the U.S. government during their fellowships.
Participants must also return to federal employment for at least four years after completing the program, or two years if their fellowships lasted no more than one year.
The State Department can authorize shorter fellowships or waive training requirements for participants with existing language skills or relevant expertise.
Bipartisan Congressional Support
Congress authorized the program through the Taiwan Fellowship Act, which became law in December 2022 as part of the annual defense authorization legislation signed by then-President Joe Biden.
The initiative had received bipartisan support, including from Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and then-Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).
In May 2024, Markey, Rubio, and other senators urged the Biden administration to finalize an agreement with Taiwan so the first American fellows could arrive by the end of that year to begin language training. The agreement was signed nearly four years after the legislation became law.
The Taiwan initiative follows the model of the Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program, which Congress established in 1994 to give American federal employees experience working alongside Japanese officials. The program combines language and regional training with placements in Japanese government offices and other institutions.
At the Nov. 10 signing ceremony, Larson said the Taiwan program reflected bipartisan backing for U.S.–Taiwan relations and a shared commitment to stronger ties between people on both sides.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung welcomed the agreement, saying it would help more American professionals understand Taiwan and deepen connections between the two sides.
Congress authorized approximately five fellowships during the program’s first two years and 10 annually thereafter, subject to available funding.
The initial participants, the federal agencies sending them, and the Taiwanese government offices that will host them have not yet been publicly identified.
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