Taiwan and the US have formalized a new program to train American officials in Taiwan's government, a quiet but notable step in deepening ties.

• Taiwan and the US signed a memorandum for the "Taiwan Fellowship Program," under which US officials will come to Taiwan for language training and hands-on exposure to how the government works.
• Taiwan's deputy foreign minister said these US officials won't handle sensitive information — their role is mainly to observe and take part in general government work, with the goal of helping Washington better understand Taiwan.
• Taiwan is separately pushing to send its own people to the US under a similar arrangement, building on existing ties between Taiwanese officials and American think tanks.
• The ministry also addressed internal discipline issues, including a bullying case involving a former Geneva office chief and a controversial event planned by a former ambassador to the Marshall Islands, saying both were handled through internal review and reassignment rather than dismissal.
• Taiwan confirmed it is closing its representative office in Papua New Guinea, with staff withdrawal, lease termination, and destruction of sensitive documents expected to finish this month.

Outlook: The fellowship program is likely to expand as a low-key channel for building US-Taiwan understanding, while Taiwan continues scaling back diplomatic presence in places like Papua New Guinea.