TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) met with former American Institute in Taiwan Director William Brent Christensen last week.
Lin shared details of the meeting with Christensen in a Facebook post on Monday. The former director said that stepping away from public service allowed him to delve into Taiwan’s history, which he found moving and extraordinary. He also noted Taiwan’s highly skilled Mandarin language teachers, who can help foreigners learn the language.
Lin introduced Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) "Ten-Billion-Dollar Youth Overseas Dream Fund” with Christensen. He hopes more Taiwanese students will choose to study at Brigham Young University, where he teaches cross-strait relations, to foster bilateral exchanges.
The foreign minister also shared insights on Lai’s tour to Taiwan’s South Pacific allies with Christensen. The trip included visits to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau, and layovers in Hawaii and Guam.
Lin highlighted the progress and plans under the foreign ministry’s “Prosperous Allies Initiative,” to promote development in Taiwan’s South Pacific allies.
The two said they hope to deepen collaboration with countries like the US, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand to support Pacific Island nations in combating climate challenges and countering the expansion of authoritarianism. By upholding democracy and freedom, Taiwan and the US can contribute to regional peace and sustainable development of the Pacific region, Lin said.
Christensen served as AIT director from 2018 to 2021.