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TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Managing Director Ingrid Larson on Saturday (March 9) praised U.S.-Taiwan relations and looked forward to cooperating with President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德).
The Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco Bay Area (TCC-SFBA) invited Larson to speak at its annual dinner held on Saturday (March 9), per CNA. Larson’s speech centered on U.S.-Taiwan relations after elections in January.
The career diplomat said several times that the U.S. will continue its current policy with Taiwan. During the transition between old and new governments in Taiwan, the U.S. will continue to make progress on key priorities to ensure peace and stability, she stressed.
Larson said that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to coerce Taiwan militarily, economically, and diplomatically. “It has become increasingly important to help strengthen Taiwan’s ability to resist Beijing’s pressure so that the status quo can be maintained,” she said.
Larson suggested that Taiwan can combine measures from various units outside of military defense such as the Ministry of Digital Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Affairs to improve its resilience, per Liberty Times. She also said that the U.S. will continue to deepen trade relations and promote bilateral investment with Taiwan.
Larson said that Taiwan’s efforts to tell its own story, its importance on the international stage, and its growing contributions to the international community have created a new narrative, allowing the outside world to no longer view Taiwan solely from the perspective of U.S.-China relations. She also thanked overseas Taiwanese for their long-term efforts in strengthening U.S.-Taiwan relations.
Larson became managing director of AIT in 2020. Before that, her diplomatic career has been 22 years of service and has been posted in South Korea, Mexico, and China.
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