《TAIPEI TIMES》 New AIT director ready to expand Ta

By Lu Yi-hsuan and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer

American Institute in Taiwan （AIT） Director Sandra Oudkirk yesterday said she looked forward to “expanding and deepening” the Taiwan-US partnership, in her first formal meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu （吳釗燮）.

“I am glad to be back in Taiwan. It is an exciting time to be the director of AIT with the US-Taiwan relationship at an all-time high,” said Oudkirk, who took office late last month.

Oudkirk highlighted the two countries’ cooperation combating the COVID-19 pandemic, US efforts to help Taiwan expand its involvement in international organizations, including the World Health Assembly （WHA）, and the “common democratic values that the United States and Taiwan share.” Oudkirk said that Taiwan’s exclusion from the WHA is detrimental to global efforts to combat COVID-19.

After the meeting, Wu said that he and Oudkirk had “exchanged ideas on important issues.”

Wu welcomed the appointment of Oudkirk as AIT director and again thanked the US for its donation of 2.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

He said he hoped that the two countries would continue to reinforce cooperation in various areas under Oudkirk’s leadership.

“China is continuously expanding its influence throughout the world, which is of concern to the US and like-minded nations,” he said. “Taiwan hopes to cooperate with the US and other democracies to contribute to regional and global peace, stability and prosperity.”

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES