Washington (December 7, 2022) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, released the following statement today praising inclusion in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY23 of his bipartisan legislation to strengthen the U.S.-Taiwan relationship. The Taiwan Fellowship Act as included in the NDAA will build upon the people-to-people ties between the United States and Taiwan by establishing a fellowship exchange program for U.S. federal government employees to live on the island and work for Taiwan ministries, agencies, or parliamentary offices or other organizations in Taiwan related to their home agency work.

“The people-to-people ties between the Unites States and Taiwan have served as the foundation of the strong and lasting partnership with the island and its democracy. The Taiwan Fellowship Act will deepen these ties by supporting American public servants as they benefit from the wealth of knowledge, culture, and trade that Taiwan contributes to the global community – creating a stronger, more resilient U.S.-Taiwan partnership and supporting our nation’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific region.

“I am proud that this legislation, modeled on the successful Mansfield Fellowship Program between the United States and Japan, has been included in the NDAA conference text. This is a crucial moment for the U.S.-Taiwan partnership and we must continue to build upon our already close ties, based on our shared values and commitment to democracy, to further our mutual interests. I thank Senator Rubio and Congressmen Bera and Chabot for their shared efforts in establishing this important program.”

Senator Markey has long been an advocate for strengthening the U.S.-Taiwan relationship. In August, Senator Markey led his colleagues Congressmen John Garamendi (CA-03), Don Beyer (VA-08), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), and Congresswoman Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (AS) in a visit to Taiwan as part of their Congressional delegation travel in Asia. The delegation met with President Tsai Ing-wen, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, and members of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee from the Legislative Yuan to exchange views with Taiwan counterparts on a wide range of issues including support for peace and stability in Taiwan as they face growing authoritarian pressure from Beijing. In October 2021, Senator Markey introduced the Taiwan ASSURE Act, legislation that supports stability measures to lower the risk of conflict in the Taiwan Strait, investments in multilateral engagement with Taiwan, and opens the door to greater self-defense cooperation. 

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