TRANSFORMATION:The US’ main policy is to support the ability of Taiwanese to determine their own fate, free from intimidation and coercion, the AIT chairman said
Taipei Times
Date: Jul 15, 2015
By: William Lowther / Staff reporter in Washington
Over the past few years, the US has “transformed and redefined” the way it thinks
American Institute in Taiwan Chairman Raymond Burghardt speaks at a conference on cross-strait relations at Brookings Insitution in Washington on Monday. Photo: CNA
about Taiwan, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman Ray Burghardt said in Washington on Monday.
During that time, it has started to take Taiwan seriously in and of itself, he said.
Addressing a Brookings Institution conference on relations across the Taiwan Strait, Burghardt said the relationship is now viewed as important and not “as some appendage or some small aspect of our relationship with Beijing.”
He reminded the audience that Taiwan was the US’ 10th-largest trading partner and sixth-largest source of foreign students.
“We cooperate more and more on issues that extend beyond our bilateral ties — things like counterterrorism, health and economic issues,” Burghardt said. [FULL STORY]
