Premier Su Tseng-chang on Monday received Sandra Oudkirk, the new director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). The premier said that he looked forward to building on the already sturdy foundation of the Taiwan-U.S. partnership to advance the relationship to new heights.
Since President Tsai Ing-wen assumed office, relations between Taipei and Washington have seen substantive development on multiple fronts, including economic and security ties. Premier Su expressed special thanks to the U.S. for its generous donation of 2.5 million doses of coronavirus vaccine in mid-June, when Taiwan was experiencing shortages due to delayed deliveries. This assistance made a clear impression among the people of Taiwan that the U.S. is a loyal friend and can be counted on to extend a helping hand should Taiwan need it.
Director Oudkirk thanked Premier Su for his warm welcome and greetings, saying she was delighted and honored to return to Taiwan as director of the AIT and experience today's Taiwan. Compared with the country in the 1990s during her first assignment here, Taiwan has made extraordinary achievements over the past three decades. The director reiterated her commitment to advancing Taiwan-U.S. ties. As the two nations share common values of freedom and democracy, she looks forward to further collaborations in many fields and an even stronger Taiwan-U.S. relationship.