Premier Su Tseng-chang on Tuesday received outgoing Director Brent Christensen of the American Institute in Taiwan's (AIT) Taipei office, expressing gratitude for the director's contributions to advancing Taiwan-U.S. relations during his term in office.
The premier said in remarks that relations between Taiwan and the U.S. over the past three years have moved forward substantively, whether in the realm of economics, trade, security or bilateral ties. In particular, Director Christensen played a valuable role in the U.S. government's donation of 2.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan. The U.S. not only proved to be a true friend advocating true progress, but also embodied the saying, "A friend in need is a friend indeed."
Director Christensen said he has been very pleased to witness the arrival of the vaccine donations, the resumption of Taiwan-U.S. Trade and Investment Framework Agreement meeting in late June, as well as many other important milestones before leaving office. These accomplishments have come thanks to the long-term dedication of both sides to the bilateral relationship, and he thanked Premier Su and the entire Cabinet for their support and cooperation during this time.
The premier again offered thanks and well wishes to the AIT director, and expressed hope that Taiwan-U.S. relations would continue to grow even further on the excellent foundation already established.