Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) presented outgoing American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Sandra Oudkirk with a special award on Tuesday in recognition of her contributions to Taiwan-U.S. relations.
Oudkirk has been part of the U.S. Foreign Service for more than 30 years. Taiwan happened to be her first overseas posting in 1991; she returned in 2021 to serve as AIT Director, becoming the first woman to do so. Oudkirk recounted AIT’s achievements during her tenure, which include improving global supply chain resilience and bolstering Taiwan’s defense capabilities.
Addressing the assembly, Lin added that a great deal of progress in bilateral cooperation between the U.S. and Taiwan was made during Oudkirk’s years of service. He pointed to the Biden administration’s 15th arms sales and the recent passage of a bill including US$50 million in foreign military financing for Taiwan as examples. Lin stated that the medal serves not only as a commendation of Oudkirk’s accomplishments, but also symbolizes their commitment to maintaining strong diplomatic ties.
Oudkirk said that she is confident that Taiwan-U.S. relations will only grow stronger in years to come, as the nations share a vision of a peaceful, prosperous, and free Indo-Pacific region. She stressed that this was not a “goodbye,” but rather “see you later.”