Matthew O’Connor, Branch Chief of the AIT Kaohsiung Branch Office, paid a visit to Mayor William Lai at the city government on August 29. Mayor Lai welcomed O’Connor, who began his term on August 1 this year, to Southern Taiwan. Both parties expressed that they hope to facilitate more collaborations and exchanges in the future.
Mayor Lai first thanked AIT for their long-term support and assistance toward Taiwan and Tainan city. He spoke about the interactions and contributions the past AIT chiefs he received had made with and to the city, including Gary Oba, who speaks fluent Taiwanese; Robert DeWitt, who was dedicated to promoting English language education in Tainan; Kin Moy, who came to Tainan with his family for a holiday; and Christopher Marut, who planted a mango tree in Tainan. Mayor Lai then introduced Tainan’s history and tourist spots to O’Connor and invited him to tour Tainan next time and learn more about the city.
The Mayor remarked that Taiwan’s current success in areas such as economy, democracy, freedom, and human rights are mostly due to the support and assistance from the US. The Taiwanese people are grateful and hope to continue to work with the States in various areas and industries. In terms of international participation, Taiwan still needs the support of the US on many issues, including the peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region, disease prevention, and international crime. Taiwan plays active roles in these domains and hopes to have the opportunity to collaborate with other countries around the world.
Chief O’Connor expressed that the AIT Kaohsiung Branch Office already had many successful collaborations with Tainan city government in the past. He looks forward to creating more fruitful exchanges that would benefit both sides, and to continue to strengthen the friendship between Tainan/Taiwan and the US.