MOFA welcomes choice of AIT Taipei director

Publication Date：05/08/2012
Source： Taiwan Today
The ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed May 8 the announcement by Washington that senior U.S. diplomat Christopher J. Marut will take over as director of the American Institute in Taiwan’s Taipei office in August.

Marut, director of the U.S. State Department Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs’ Office of Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island Affairs, will replace William A. Stanton when the latter completes his three-year tenure.

The ministry said it hopes Marut will continue the close cooperation between the AIT and Taiwan, as well as further advance relations between the two sides on the already established solid foundation of mutual trust.

A 27-year veteran at the State Department, Marut served as acting consul general at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong from August 2009 to February 2010, and as deputy consul general from 2007 to 2009.

Marut’s resume also includes postings at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing between 1984 and 1986, the AIT Taipei office from 1986 to 1989, and the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia from 1997 to 2001.

His appointment as head of the AIT Taipei office is seen as significant in light of U.S. President Barrack Obama’s recent focus on enhancing Washington’s relations in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s description of Taiwan as an important security and economic partner. (SB-THN)