MOFA welcomes appointment of new AIT head Christensen

2018/06/29

The appointment of William Brent Christensen as new director of the Taipei Office of the American Institute in Taiwan is welcomed June 27 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 
 Describing Christensen as a senior diplomat with considerable experience of Taiwan-U.S. relations, the MOFA said that he has advanced numerous policies strengthening ties over his nearly three-decade career.
 
 These include Taiwan’s inclusion in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program since 2012, as well as the establishment in 2015 of the Taiwan-U.S. Global Cooperation and Training Framework, a platform for expanding collaboration on major regional and international issues, according to the MOFA.
 
 Other initiatives Christensen promoted include the International Environmental Partnership and the Pacific Islands Leadership Program, launched in 2014 and 2012, respectively, the MOFA said. He also helped facilitate the visits of senior U.S. officials such as Gina McCarthy, then head of the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2014, as well as Charles Rivkin, then assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs, the following year.
 
 Such actions demonstrate Christensen’s firm support for Taiwan, the MOFA said, adding that it will work closely with the new AIT chief to build on the foundation of cooperation established by outgoing head Kin Moy and former directors.
 
 Similarly welcoming the appointment in a statement released the same day, the Office of the President said that Christensen made many substantial contributions to boosting ties during his prior tenures as director of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Taiwan Coordination and AIT deputy director. The government looks forward to working with him on further strengthening the robust partnership between the two sides, it added.
 
 Expressing gratitude to the U.S. for its long-standing support, the Office of the President said that Taiwan is committed to deepening this enduring friendship so as to promote regional peace, stability and prosperity.
 
 Christensen is slated to take up the post when Moy steps down this summer. A respected member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service holding the personal rank of minister-counselor, he served as director of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Taiwan Coordination from 2010-2012 and AIT deputy director from 2012-2015.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=6&post=136952)