The American Institute in Taiwan says that US-Taiwan friendship will continue to flourish as Taiwan’s new envoy to Washington, Hsiao Bi-khim, takes up her position.
The American Institute in Taiwan serves as the de facto US embassy in Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.
President Tsai Ing-wen has appointed Hsiao Bi-khim, a former lawmaker and National Security Council official, to replace outgoing veteran diplomat Stanley Kao as Taiwan’s top representative in the US.
In a statement released on Thursday, the American Institute in Taiwan said that Hsiao has a “strong record of advancing U.S.-Taiwan relations and will be the first woman to hold this critical role.”
The institute also said that during her period as a lawmaker in Taiwan, Hsiao contributed to advances in many aspects of the bilateral ties. These include security cooperation, economic and commercial ties, and “joint efforts to share Taiwan’s democratic success story with the world.”
Hsiao is set to take up her new post in late July.