President Tsai Ing-wen has met with the new director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk. The institute is the United States’ de facto embassy in Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic relations. Monday’s conference was Oudkirk and President Tsai’s first meeting since Oudkirk assumed office in mid-July.
President Tsai has welcomed Oudkirk to Taiwan on behalf of Taiwan’s government. She says that Oudkirk is a seasoned diplomat and an old friend of Taiwan, having been stationed in the country in the 1990s.
Tsai says that during a visit to Taiwan in 2019, Oudkirk shared a number of ideas with President Tsai on maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Tsai says she believes Taiwan-US relations will continue to thrive under Oudkirk’s guidance.
Last week, the Biden administration approved its first arms sale to Taiwan. President Tsai has thanked President Biden for his commitment to a strong partnership with Taiwan. Tsai says she hopes Taiwan and the US can soon sign a bilateral trade agreement to further strengthen trade and investment ties.