The new director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), William Stanton, reported for duty yesterday and promised to “listen carefully” to the Taiwanese people to improve Taiwan-US ties based on mutual interests.
Speaking briefly at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport upon his arrival, Stanton said he was honored and delighted to return to Taiwan after living here more than two decades ago.
“Although I last lived in Taiwan 22 years ago, I have many fond memories, including the birth of my older daughter Kate who was therefore — as I said in Washington recently — made in Taiwan,” said Stanton, referring to his experience of studying Chinese in Taipei between 1986 and 1987.
“With virtually no natural resources other than the intelligence and hard work of its people, [Taiwan] is now the 26th largest economy in the world,” Stanton said, calling Taiwan an “economic miracle.”
DEMOCRATIZATION
Stanton, who assumed the post vacated by Stephen Young, also applauded Taiwan’s democratization, recalling that the country was still under martial law when he lived here.
“Now Taiwan is a vibrant democracy built on the foundation of a civil society of the people and non-government organizations. This is an impressive achievement that the people of Taiwan can be proud of,” he said.
ISSUES
Some of the pertinent issues that he expected to tackle during his three years in office include convincing Taiwan to allow a comprehensive opening to US beef, Taiwan’s petition to be included in the US visa-waiver program and US arms sales to Taiwan.
Stanton’s most recent assignment was as deputy chief of the US embassy in South Korea. He also served as Charge d’Affaires ad interim and as deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Canberra, Australia.
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
TALKS CONTINUE: Although an agreement has not been reached with Washington, lowering the tariff from 32 percent to 20 percent is still progress, the vice premier said Taiwan would strive for a better US tariff rate in negotiations, with the goal being not just lowering the current 20-percent tariff rate, but also securing an exemption from tariff stacking, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said yesterday. Cheng made the remarks at a news conference at the Executive Yuan explaining the new US tariffs and the government’s plans for supporting affected industries. US President Donald Trump on July 31 announced a new tariff rate of 20 percent on Taiwan’s exports to the US starting on Thursday last week, and the Office of Trade Negotiations on Friday confirmed that it
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