American Institute in Taiwan

American Institute in Taiwan
American Institute in Taipei, with the flag of the United States flown out front
FoundedWashington, D.C. (16 January 1979)
FounderHarvey J. Feldman (U.S. diplomat)
TypeU.S. Government-Sponsored Nonprofit, Private Corporation
HeadquartersRosslyn, Arlington, Virginia
Location
  • 100 Jinhu Road, Neihu District, Taipei city, 114017
Region served
Taiwan
ServicesDe facto embassy functions
Chairperson
Vacant
Director
Raymond F. Greene[1]
Websiteait.org.tw

The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT; Chinese: 美國在台協會) is the unofficial mission of the United States of America in Taiwan. It is a private, nonprofit corporation backed by the United States government.[2] It serves as a de facto embassy to protect American interests in the region.

AIT is staffed primarily by workers from the United States Department of State. It offers regular visa and consular services for American citizens, just like an official embassy. It also receives full protection from the United States Marine Corps.

Overview

The institute was created on 16 January 1979 under the Taiwan Relations Act. This happened after the United States established formal diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC) and had to end official ties with Taiwan.[3] This setup was based on the "Japanese Model," which Japan used to keep unofficial ties with Taiwan after 1972.

While relations are technically informal, the United States government treats agreements made through AIT similarly to international agreements made with formal diplomatic allies.

AIT has its main headquarters in Arlington County, Virginia, and its largest operations office in Taipei. It also has a smaller branch office in the southern port city of Kaohsiung.

Taipei Compound

In June 2018, AIT unveiled a new 250 million dollar office complex in the Neihu District of Taipei.[4] The modern compound officially opened in 2019, replacing the old site in the Daan District that had been used since 1979. To mark the opening, officials buried a time capsule on the grounds that is not to be opened for 50 years.

Principal Officers

List of Directors

The director of the Taipei office holds the same operational rank as an ambassador.

  • Charles T. Cross (1979–1981)
  • James R. Lilley (1981–1984)
  • Harry E. T. Thayer (1984–1986)
  • David Dean (1987–1989)
  • Thomas S. Brooks (1990–1993)
  • B. Lynn Pascoe (1993–1996)
  • Darryl Norman Johnson (1996–1999)
  • Raymond Burghardt (1999–2001)
  • Douglas H. Paal (2002–2006)
  • Stephen Young (2006–2009)
  • William A. Stanton (2009–2012)
  • Christopher J. Marut (2012–2015)
  • Kin W. Moy (2015–2018)
  • Brent Christensen (2018–2021)
  • Sandra Oudkirk (2021–2024)
  • Raymond F. Greene (2024–present)[1]

List of Chairpersons

  • David Dean (1979–1986)
  • David N. Laux (1986–1990)
  • Natale H. Bellocchi (1990–1995)
  • James C. Wood Jr. (1996–1997)
  • Richard C. Bush (1997–2002)
  • Therese Shaheen (2002–2004)
  • William Andreas Brown (2004–2006; acting)
  • Raymond Burghardt (2006–2016)
  • James F. Moriarty (2016–2023)
  • Laura Rosenberger (2023–2025)

References

  1. 1 2 "Raymond F. Greene Assumes Position as AIT Director". American Institute in Taiwan. 9 July 2024.
  2. ↑ "The Quasi Government". Congressional Research Service. Federation of American Scientists.
  3. ↑ "U.S. Relations With Taiwan". United States Department of State.
  4. ↑ Horton, Chris (12 June 2018). "U.S. Unveils an Office in Taiwan, but Sends No Top Officials". The New York Times.
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