US names career diplomat Brent Christensen as unofficial envoy to Taiwan
New AIT director is well versed in cross-strait affairs and analysts say his appointment is an effort to avoid antagonising Beijing
Washington has appointed a career diplomat as its unofficial envoy to Taiwan in a move analysts say shows it is trying to avoid further antagonising Beijing.
Brent Christensen, who has nearly three decades of diplomatic experience and is well versed in Taiwan and mainland affairs, will succeed Kin Moy as director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Washington’s de facto embassy in the absence of official ties with the island.
“The AIT is pleased to announce the selection of Mr William Brent Christensen as the new director of its Taipei office, succeeding Mr Kin Moy beginning summer 2018,” the AIT said in a statement on Wednesday.
Christensen has been with the US foreign service for close to 30 years and has extensive experience in senior positions relating to Taiwan and mainland China, the statement said, referring to his stint as AIT deputy director from 2012 to 2015, when Ma Ying-jeou was president.
The island’s government welcomed the appointment, saying Christensen was familiar with Taiwan-related issues and had made significant contributions to promoting closer ties.
“We hope that both sides can continue to advance our many bilateral exchange programmes after Christensen takes office and brings our friendly ties into a new era,” Taiwan’s presidential office said in a statement.
The announcement of Moy’s successor has ended months of speculation over who Washington would appoint to replace him amid an escalating trade dispute between the US and mainland China and heightened security tensions over Beijing’s military build-up in the disputed South China Sea.