The next chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) will visit Taiwan regularly and will bring views from Washington. That’s the word from the outgoing AIT chair, Raymond Burghardt on Thursday. Burghardt said that the new chair will also play a role in Taiwan’s policy just like his predecessors. AIT is the de facto US embassy in Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.
Burghardt said he felt honored to be able to contribute to US-Taiwan relations over some 12 and a half years, including the time he was stationed in Taipei as the AIT director.
He said US-Taiwan ties have made significant progress in the last few years, owing mostly to the Obama administration treating Taiwan with respect and recognizing that Taiwan can make valuable contributions to the world. He said US-Taiwan relations are important and are not a footnote to American relations with China.
Burghardt is expected to retire later this year. James Moriarty, the former US ambassador to Nepal and Bangladesh, will succeed him.