US foreign policy experts yesterday suggested expanding the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) to meet diplomatic needs and accommodate additional security personnel by adding more facilities and staff and appointing an AIT chairperson.
The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing on Taiwan policy in Washington yesterday, inviting Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific program at the German Marshall Fund, Lauren Dickey, former senior advisor for Taiwan policy at the US Department of Defense, and Rush Doshi, former US National Security Council deputy senior director for China and Taiwan, to give testimonies.
Dickey said that US and Taiwan cooperation, especially regarding security, continues to increase, but AIT, which acts as the US’ unofficial embassy in Taiwan, is facing space and staffing constraints that make it unable to carry out current US policy objectives.
Photo: CNA
The US Department of State should review AIT’s facility and staffing requirements to ensure it can “support the expanded tempo of security cooperation activities,” Dickey said, adding that it should consider additional facilities.
She further noted that “the absence of a Senate-confirmed AIT director in Taipei and an AIT chairperson in Washington risks misalignment between AIT operations and broader US policy.”
While the US Constitution gives the president authority to nominate foreign ambassadors and requires US Senate confirmation, the AIT director in Taipei is currently appointed by the US secretary of state and does not require US Senate confirmation.
Laura Rosenberger served as AIT chairperson under the administration of former US president Joe Biden, but the administration of US President Donald Trump has yet to announce a replacement.
In her testimony, Glaser suggested increasing appropriations for AIT staffing and authorizing additional interagency detailees to AIT to support visits by Congressional and staff delegations, as well as US officials.
The US Department of State yesterday told CNA that it would continue to assess its global deployments to ensure it can better represent the US public in addressing today’s challenges.
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