TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Brent Christensen, director of the American Institute of Taiwan, on Friday (July 9) presented a farewell letter as his three-year tenure comes to an end.

Christensen said that serving in Taiwan has been an honor and one of his career goals. He added there are three main reasons he loves the East Asian country.

First is the nation’s ability to simultaneously spearhead innovation and carefully preserve tradition. “Taiwan’s industry continues to set the benchmark for global innovation in some of the most sophisticated technologies, but at the same time, Taiwan society is remarkable for its stability and cultural continuity,” he said.

Christensen also praised Taiwan for its blossoming democracy, booming economy, well-protected environment, and lively arts and culture. He also expressed admiration for the country’s cultural and historic sites being so well-preserved.

The director said that Taiwan “exemplifies the intersection of shared interests and shared values.” The Taiwan-U.S. partnership, he added, aims to ensure that the economies of both countries benefit from technological advancements and promote the shared values of freedom, diversity, equality, and transparency. He added that Taipei and Washington will continue to address global issues.

Christensen stated that “hope, promise, and growth” come to mind when he thinks about Taiwan and bilateral ties. He noted that Taiwan-U.S. relations have made much progress in the past 40 years, adding that he believes each diplomat who has served as AIT director has “left this partnership better than they found it.”

The director said that he will never forget the kindness of Taiwanese and that he will always remember how Taiwan touched his life and the lives of his family members.

Sandra Oudkirk, who currently serves as the senior official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, is set to replace Christensen as the new AIT director.