Trump Administration wanted all politically appointed ambassadors to leave before Jan. 20

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/01/25
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – United States President Donald Trump’s order to remove all politically

appointed ambassadors within the shortest delay apparently did not apply to the American Institute in Taiwan, reports said Wednesday.

As Taiwan and the U.S. do not maintain official diplomatic relations, Washington’s interests on the island are represented by AIT, which is based in the U.S. but has offices in Taipei and Kaohsiung. The director of the Taipei office, Kin Moy, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, is in effect the top U.S. representative in Taiwan. The chairman of the board, based in Arlington, Virginia, is James Moriarty, a former career diplomat.

In a surprise move, then-President-elect Trump’s transition team announced earlier this month that it expected all politically appointed ambassadors to leave their posts by his inauguration day, January 20.    [FULL  STORY]