Former American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) deputy director Brent Christensen is tapped to become the new AIT director, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, adding that President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration has approved the appointment and notified the US government.
AIT Director Kin Moy, who took office in June 2015, is expected to leave Taipei this summer following a dedication ceremony on Tuesday for the new AIT compound in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖), although no date has been announced.
A career member of the US Foreign Service, Christensen was last posted in Taiwan during former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) second term and maintains cordial relations with Taiwan’s major parties.
Screen grab from the US Department of State Web site
He was AIT deputy director from 2012 to 2015 and served as acting director between former AIT directors William Stanton and Christopher Marut.
There was initially indecision over whether Moy’s successor should be a political appointee or a career member of the service, with former US representative Matt Salmon considered for the position, sources said.
However, people in diplomatic circles believe that given past experiences, the most important factor that needs consideration was whether the new director has the passion and creativity needed bolster US-Taiwan relations, they said.
Washington could send US Assistant Secretary of State for Education and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce to attend the ceremony, the sources added.
The White House is cautious about its Taiwan policy in the lead-up to the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore on Tuesday, and things could change until Royce arrives in Taiwan, a service source said.
Christensen has served as Director of the Office of Taiwan Coordination since September 2010.
He also served as counselor for environment, science, technology and health at the US embassy in China and as an American Political Science Association congressional fellow on the staff of former US senator Olympia Snowe.
Prior to joining the service, Christensen served as a captain in the US Air Force.
He has a doctorate in dental medicine from Oregon Health and Science University, a master’s degree from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source