US Taiwan envoy makes third trip to island ahead of January’s presidential elections

Laura Rosenberger, who met Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen on Monday, will discuss Taiwan-US relations, regional security, and economic issues during 5-day visit

Island’s opposition KMT has framed the presidential election as a stark choice between war or peace with mainland China

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Laura Rosenberger, head of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) met Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen in a closed-door meeting on Monday during her third visit to the island this year. Photo: CNA

Published: 9:04pm, 16 Oct 2023Updated: 5:58am, 17 Oct 2023

The de facto US envoy to Taiwan, Laura Rosenberger, has arrived in Taipei for her third visit in seven months, as the island gears up for a presidential election that has been framed as a stark choice between war or peace with mainland China.

Rosenberger, chairwoman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) – the de facto US embassy on the island – met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in a closed-door meeting on Monday to discuss security, economic and other issues, according to Tsai’s office.

Rosenberger, along with Michael Pignatello, a senior advisor to the US State Department’s East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau, landed in Taipei late Sunday for a five-day visit.

“They will meet high-level government officials and [representatives] of all walks of life to exchange views on such important topics as Taiwan-US relations, regional security, economy, trade and investment,” the island’s foreign ministry said on Monday.

The ministry said it warmly welcomed Rosenberger’s visit – her third since she became the AIT head in March – as it demonstrated “her strong enthusiasm for advancing Taiwan-US relations.”

“Based on solid and firm relations of our two sides, we look forward to keeping close communication and cooperation with Chair Rosenberger to further deepen and expand the comprehensive partnership between Taiwan and the US in all areas,” it said.

The former key security aide to US President Joe Biden first visited Taiwan in April, just one month after she became head of the AIT. She traveled to the island again in June where she met three presidential candidates and discussed a variety of issues with them.

The candidates – Ko Wen-je, head of the smaller opposition Taiwan’s People Party; Vice-President William Lai Ching-te from the ruling independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, and New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih of the main opposition Kuomintang party – also met her during their separate US visits this year.