TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) praised youth exchanges between Taiwan and the US on Monday.

During an event marking the 85th anniversary of the US Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, Lai said the program has cultivated many leaders and has become a key platform for international exchange, according to the Presidential Office. IVLP alumni have let the world “better recognize Taiwan’s democratic achievements and vibrant diversity,” Lai said.

Lai said the close partnership between Taiwan and the US is evident in expanding cooperation across many fields. In addition to IVLP, the Fulbright Program brings scholars from Taiwan and the US together each year, he added.

The president pointed out that over the past three years, Taiwan has also welcomed American students to study Mandarin by providing funding to US State Department scholarship programs, “strengthening links between the next generation of Taiwanese and Americans.” He said the Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative, which launched this year, encourages Taiwanese youth to travel abroad and deepen their ties with the US and the world.

Lai pledged that Taiwan will continue to work with the US and global democratic partners to contribute to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.