AIT managing director visits Taiwan

Taipei, Oct. 29 (CNA) Ingrid Larson, the managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan's (AIT) Washington Office, is currently visiting Taiwan to meet with local officials, the semi-official agency in charge of Taiwan-U.S. affairs said Tuesday.

Larson is in Taiwan and holding meetings from October 28 to November 1 "as part of the United States' strong commitment to Taiwan and to advance the growing U.S.-Taiwan partnership," the AIT said in a press release.

"While in Taiwan, she will discuss continued U.S.-Taiwan collaboration on issues of mutual interest such as regional security, mutually beneficial trade and investment, and people-to-people, educational, and cultural ties," it said.

The AIT did not name the officials Larson is expected to meet with while in Taipei, however.

According to previous practice, senior AIT officials usually meet with Taiwan's president or vice president, senior diplomats and leaders across the political aisle.

The AIT represents U.S. interests in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties. It is headquartered in Virginia and has a main office in Taipei and a branch office in Kaohsiung.

Its Taipei director serves as the top U.S. envoy to Taiwan.

As managing director, Larson is responsible for hosting important visitors from Taiwan, finalizing programs and transactions on behalf of the U.S. government as empowered by the Taiwan Relations Act, and overseeing fiscal and other reporting requirements for AIT, the institute said on its website.

Larson joined AIT in May 2020, after a 22-year career in the U.S. State Department.