President Chen Shui-bian met with the newly appointed American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Stephen Young at the Office of the President on March 21, extending his warmest welcome and reassuring the guest his determination in maintaining the substantial and friendly Taiwan-US relationship.
The president first pointed out to Director Young that the decision to cease the function of the National Unification Council (NUC) and the application of its Guidelines (NUG) was made on the solid basis of the most open communications, frank dialogues, and responsible and rational negotiations between Taiwan and the United States, promising Director Young that he will be the most trustworthy peacekeeper in the Taiwan-strait region.
Though appointed the new director of the Taipei Office of the American Institute in Taiwan, Director Young, however, is more than familiar with the country. The president recounted in detail the director's encounters with the Taiwanese society, saying that, prior to the new position, Young had been to Taiwan four times. The president said in a tone of pride, "His stays in Taiwan in the years 1963, 1981, 1989, and 1998 had witnessed Taiwan's democracy."
"Not only did Director Young witness Taiwan's peaceful transfer of political power in the year 2000, he also bore witness to Kyrgyzstan's Tulip Revolution when he was the US ambassador," the president said, welcoming again the director's assumption of the new post.
Surprised by the president's good memory, Director Young said that he has maintained a good friendship with the president since they first met in 1998, in which the president was the mayor of Taipei. The president and the director both wished to strengthen the US-Taiwan relationship. Director Young told the president that the meeting was a good start on the basis of which Taiwan and the United States can have friendlier dialogues and closer cooperation.
In the end, Director Young also thanked Secretary-General of the Office of the President Mark Chen and Foreign Minister James Huang for helping him brush up on his memories of Taiwan.