Remarks by AIT Director Kin Moy at the 2016 Conference of Southeast Asian Studies in Taiwan National Chengchi University September 22, 2016

OT-1618E | Date: 09/22/2016 | (As Prepared for Delivery)

Remarks by AIT Director Kin Moy at the 2016 Conference of Southeast Asian Studies in Taiwan National Chengchi University September 22, 2016 (Photo: AIT Photo)

President Tsai, Dr. Chow, Dr. Ding, Dr. Hsiao, and other distinguished guests from Taiwan and representatives from the East Asia Region, good morning. It is my pleasure to join you this morning.

For many years, Taiwan has been engaged in promoting people-to-people dialogue in the region and it’s impressive to see many renowned scholars and representatives from different places here today to exchange ideas on regional development and cooperation.

The topic of the conference reflects a current important trend taking place in Asia and the world. Taiwan plays an indispensable role in Asia and has made a tremendous contribution to regional development, including increasing economic prosperity, promoting the rule of law, good governance, and democracy. The United States admires these contributions and continues to support further international space for Taiwan.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our alumni who are devoted to not only their areas of scholarly expertise but also to serving in a broader sense the community in Taiwan, and the region as a whole. In Taiwan, many cabinet members, scholars, artists, and leaders in various fields are U.S. government exchange program alumni. The United States is honored to partner with these leaders, who have participated in various exchange programs such as the Fulbright Exchange Program and the International Visitor Leadership Program. Thank you to the alumni and the entire conference committee who worked so hard to create this program as a platform for regional academic dialogue.

As President Obama said, a united, integrated and effective regional multilateral architecture is a force of stability, prosperity and peace. I believe this conference will contribute to even closer regional cooperation. I wish the conference every success, thank you.