The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) officially began operations at its new US$250 million compound in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖) yesterday morning, after a 40-year run at a site on Xinyi Road.
The new compound opened at 8am, the institute wrote on Facebook.
The AIT, a private entity managing US relations with Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, was formed in 1979 after Washington switched recognition from Taipei to Beijing.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
In 2004, the AIT signed a 99-year lease with the Taipei City Government for the site in Neihu.
The office compound sits on a 6.5-hectare site within walking distance of the Neihu MRT Station.
A dedication ceremony was held on June 12 last year to unveil the then-nearly finished 14,934m2, five-story complex, but the move was not completed until the weekend.
The institute’s four facilities — the main office and consular section on Xinyi Road; the commercial section and American Center at the International Trade Center; and the Agricultural Trade Office on Anhe Road — are now housed under one roof, the AIT said.
The compound was constructed with Taiwanese and US materials to “reflect American democratic values and show respect to Taiwan,” the AIT said previously.
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