MOFA spokesperson Joanne Ou (third left) is joined by officials and Taiwan Teen Diplomatic Envoys at a news conference Jan. 20 in Taipei City. (MOFA)
 

A dozen students from three Taiwan senior high schools are visiting Indonesia and New Zealand Jan. 30 to Feb. 10 as part of the Teen Diplomatic Envoys program organized by the Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs.
 
During the group’s trip to Jakarta, Wellington and Auckland, they will tour cultural sites, government and nongovernmental facilities, Taiwan-owned businesses and participate in discussions with counterparts.
 
The students hail Taoyuan Municipal Wu-Ling Senior High School in northern Taiwan; St. Dominic Catholic High School in Kaohsiung City, southern Taiwan; and Ching Cheng High School in Changhua County, central Taiwan.
 
According to the MOFA spokesperson Joanne Ou, the program is aimed at expanding people-to-people exchanges and strengthening ties between young people in Taiwan and New Southbound Policy target countries. It also showcases the country’s soft power and allows participants to experience life as a career diplomat, she said.
 
Since the launch of the program in 2002, more than 200 students in over 50 groups have flown the flag for Taiwan across the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania, Ou added.
 
A key plank in the government’s national development strategy, NSP is enhancing Taiwan’s agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand. (YCH-E)