The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it hopes to cooperate with a senior US diplomat who on Thursday was confirmed to a top post in Asian affairs to forge stronger relations between the two nations.
The US Senate voted 94-3 to confirm David Stilwell, a former US Air Force brigadier general, as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, a position that had been vacant for almost a year.
At his confirmation hearing, Stilwell said China should stop pressuring and threatening Taiwan, and instead should resume dialogue with the Taiwanese government.
Photo: Lu Yi-hsuen, Taipei Times.
Stilwell has worked in Asia and is familiar with regional security affairs, the ministry said.
As assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs in the US Department of State, he will have the critical job of mapping out and executing Washington’s policy in the region, the ministry said.
The ministry said it hopes to work with Stilwell to reinforce the partnership between Washington and Taipei, building on an existing friendly and solid foundation.
Stilwell speaks Mandarin and Korean. His previous government positions include deputy director for political and military affairs for Asia in the Joint Staff, defense attache to China and senior planner for Asian affairs at the Pentagon.
Since his retirement from the air force, Stilwell has served as the director of the China Strategic Focus Group at the US Indo-Pacific Command Headquarters in Hawaii and as an adjunct senior fellow at the East West Center in Honolulu.
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