Foreign Minister Wu receives new AIT Director Oudkirk

2021/08/11

Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu received new American Institute in Taiwan Director Sandra Oudkirk Aug. 9 in Taipei City, the first official meeting between the pair since she took up the post last month.
 
According to Wu, Taiwan-U.S. relations are going from strength to strength. This special bond has grown stronger during COVID-19 as illustrated by the timely donation of a total 2.5 million vaccine doses in June, he said.
 
Wu said China’s expanding authoritarianism is causing grave concern among democratic countries. The government will continue working with all like-minded partners in promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and around the world, he added.
 
In response, Oudkirk said it is an exciting time to be AIT director when Taipei-Washington ties are at an all-time high. She spotlighted bilateral cooperation on combating COVID-19, including reciprocal donations of personal protective equipment and vaccines.
 
Oudkirk also reaffirmed the commitment of the U.S. to Taiwan, adding that its exclusion from the World Health Assembly is detrimental to collective global efforts to manage coronavirus and prevent future health crises.
 
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the MOFA said “Minister Wu had a warm meeting with new #AIT Director Oudkirk. The pair discussed issues at the heart of the #Taiwan-#US partnership, as well as areas in which the democracies can expand exchanges based on shared values. We look forward to even more cooperation going forward.” 


Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)