Tuesday, November 16, 2010

AIT chairman to make post-election visit to Taiwan

Taipei, Nov. 16 (CNA) American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman Raymond Burghardt is scheduled to visit Taiwan and deliver a speech soon after the Nov. 27 special municipality elections, the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (AmCham) announced Tuesday.

Burghardt is slated to deliver a speech titled "The United States and Taiwan: An Important Economic Relationship" in Taipei Nov. 30, three days after the elections that will shape the political landscapes of the five special municipalities -- Taipei, Xinbei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, AmCham said in the announcement posted on its website.

The veteran diplomat will talk mainly about trade and economic issues. He is expected to address various topics in these areas, including the implications of Taiwan's recent economic cooperation framework agreement with China, efforts to revive the stalled Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks between the U.S. and Taiwan, the anticipated TIFA agenda and U.S. trade policy considerations, according to the announcement.

Burghardt has a long history of involvement with Taiwan. He served as director of the AIT, which represents the interests of the United States in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties, from 1999- 2001. He also studied for a year in the central city of Taichung at the U.S. State Department's Chinese Language School in the mid-1970s.

(By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J