The American Institute in Taiwan is the de facto Embassy of the United States of America in Taiwan. AIT is a wholly owned subsidiary of the federal government of the United States in Taiwan with Congressional oversight. The AIT was officially created as a U.S. government-sponsored nonprofit,private corporation established under the auspices of the U.S. government to serve its interests in Taiwan. Primarily staffed by employees of the United States Department of State and local workers,the AIT provides consular services normally offered by United States diplomatic missions,with the Great Seal of the State Department hung at AIT's main office in Taipei. The establishment of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1979 required the United States to develop its own "One China policy" and subsequently to terminate official diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan). The AIT now serves to assist and protect U.S. interests in Taiwan in a quasiofficial manner,and also processes U.S. visas and provides consular services to U.S. expatriates. Following the swift passage of the 2018 Taiwan Travel Act by the United States,it now serves as a high-level representative bureau on behalf of United States in Taiwan. It receives full protection from the United States Marine Corps as do all U.S. embassies.
The Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) is an intelligence agency in the United States Department of State. Its central mission is to provide all-source intelligence and analysis in support of U.S. diplomacy and foreign policy. INR is the oldest civilian element of the U.S. Intelligence Community and among the smallest,with roughly 300 personnel. Though lacking the resources and technology of other U.S. intelligence agencies,it is "one of the most highly regarded" for the quality of its work.
William A. Stanton is an American retired career diplomat. Since his retirement from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2012,he has consecutively served as a professor in Taiwan at National Tsing Hua University,National Taiwan University,National Yang Ming University which became National Yang Ming Jiao Tung University,and in 2021 as Chair Professor at National Chengchi University.
Nicholas Platt is an American diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Pakistan,Philippines,Zambia,and as a high level diplomat in Canada,China,Hong Kong,and Japan. He is the former president of the Asia Society in New York City.
Hon. Carl W. Ford,Jr. is an American political scientist,consultant,defense administrator,and Asian specialist originally from Hot Springs,Arkansas. As Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research,he headed the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) in the State Department from 2001 until 2003. He reported directly to then Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Richard A. Boucher is an American diplomat who was deputy secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) from 2009 until 2013. He took up post on November 5,2009. Prior to joining OECD,he was the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs,a post he took up on February 21,2006. The Bureau of South Asian Affairs was expanded to include the nations of Central Asia shortly before his confirmation.
Burton Lynn Pascoe served as Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations at the UN Department of Political Affairs from 2007 to June 2012,where he oversaw the UN's diplomatic efforts to prevent and mitigate conflict around the globe.
After the United States established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1979 and recognized Beijing as the only legal government of China,Taiwan–United States relations became unofficial and informal following terms of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA),which allows the United States to have relations with the Taiwanese people and their government,whose name is not specified. U.S.–Taiwan relations were further informally grounded in the "Six Assurances" in response to the third communiquéon the establishment of US–PRC relations. The Taiwan Travel Act,passed by the U.S. Congress on March 16,2018,allows high-level U.S. officials to visit Taiwan and vice versa. Both sides have since signed a consular agreement formalizing their existent consular relations on September 13,2019. The US government removed self-imposed restrictions on executive branch contacts with Taiwan on January 9,2021.
Darryl Norman Johnson was an American politician and career Foreign Service Officer who held many positions in American government around the world. Most recently and importantly he was the United States Ambassador to Thailand from 2001–2004. Additionally,he was acting US Ambassador to the Philippines for several months in 2005. He used to live near Seattle,WA. In retirement he was a lecturer at his undergraduate alma mater,the University of Washington,where he taught in its Jackson School of International Studies.
Eunice Sharon Reddick is an American diplomat and is a former ambassador to Niger. She previously served as the U.S. ambassador to Gabon and São Toméand Príncipe.
Fredrick F. Chien,or Fred Chien,Chien Foo,is a retired Taiwanese diplomat and politician who served as the President of the Republic of China Control Yuan from 1999 to 2005. After graduating from Yale University,he assumed a series of governmental positions include Director-General of the Government Information Office from 1972 to 1975,Republic of China Representative to the United States from 1982 to 1988,Chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development from 1988 to 1990,and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1990 to 1996. He was also the Speaker of the National Assembly between 1996 and 1999.
Marc M. Wall is an American diplomat. He was the United States Ambassador to Chad from 2004 to 2007.
Dana Shell Smith is a former American diplomat and career Foreign Service Officer who served as the United States Ambassador to Qatar from July 2014 to June 2017. She was confirmed by the Senate as the U.S. Ambassador to Qatar on July 10,2014. Previously,she served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs from 2011 to 2014 and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Media.
William Brent Christensen is a United States diplomat who served as the Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT),the de facto embassy of the United States in Taiwan,from 2018 to 2021. Christensen's prior appointments include Deputy Director of AIT and Director of the State Department’s Office of Taiwan coordination.
Susan Ashton Thornton is a former American diplomat and former acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
W. Patrick Murphy is a career U.S. diplomat. A Senior Foreign Service Officer,he served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 2018 to 2019,fulfilling the duties of Acting Assistant Secretary,and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Southeast Asia and Multilateral Affairs,2016–2018. He previously served as Chargéd'affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission in the Kingdoms of Thailand and Lesotho. He was nominated on January 16,2019 to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Michael Hanscom Smith is a career member of the US Senior Foreign Service who had served as Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau from July 2019 to July 2022. Smith has also served as Consul General in Shanghai (2014–2017),Director/Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs at the Department of State. He also served as Economic Section Chief at the Taipei Main Office of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT),and team leader at the United States Provincial Reconstruction Team in the Iraqi Province of Muthanna.
Raymond Burghardt is an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Vietnam from 2002 to 2004,Director (1999-2001) as well as Chairman of American Institute in Taiwan from 2006 to 2016.
Sandra Springer Oudkirk is a United States diplomat currently serving as Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT),the de facto embassy of the United States in Taiwan. She is the first woman to hold the role. Oudkirk's prior appointments include U.S. Senior Official for APEC and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Australia,New Zealand,and the Pacific Islands in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
Mark Baxter Lambert is an American diplomat currently serving as China Coordinator and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for China and Taiwan in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the US Department of State,heading the Office of China Coordination and Office of Taiwan Coordination.
