Foreign minister sends off teen 'diplomats' to U.S., Canada

Taipei, Jan. 21 (CNA) Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) attended a pre-departure event on Tuesday for Taiwanese high school students who will soon visit the United States and Canada as part of an annual government program promoting public diplomacy.

During the Teen Diplomatic Envoys program's flag ceremony, Lin congratulated the 20 high school students who had been selected from five high schools in Taiwan.

The schools selected for the program this year -- Taipei Fuhsing Private School, Taipei's Chingshin Academy, Changhua's Ching Cheng High School, Taichung's Ming-Der Senior High School and Taipei First Girls High School -- were chosen from among 300 that had applied to participate.

Now in its 21st year, the Teen Diplomatic Envoys program had already sent 58 groups totaling more than 230 high school students overseas with the aim of helping them broaden their international outlooks while demonstrating the creativity and vitality of Taiwan's younger generation, Lin said.

The program also aligns with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MOFA) goal of promoting public diplomacy, he added.

The students will be divided into two groups, Lin said, with one traveling to Vancouver, Seattle and San Francisco while the other will visit Washington, D.C., New York and Boston.

Starting Feb. 3, the 11-day trip will include stops at political, educational and cultural institutions, as well as international and nongovernmental organizations. The delegation will also meet with politicians, academics and students, according to MOFA.

Jointly organized by MOFA and the Ministry of Education, the program has been held annually since 2002, except in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.