The Presidential Office has announced current National Security Council advisor Hsiao Bi-khim as the Taipei's new representative to the US. She will be the first female to hold the post.


Many international friends are interested and want to learn from Taiwan's epidemic prevention experience.

After losing her legislative seat in February, Hsiao Bi-khim accompanied vice presidential candidate William Lai to the US, where they attended a national prayer breakfast in Washington. Rumors started then that Hsiao would soon receive a diplomatic appointment. In April, Hsiao was given an advisory position in the National Security Council. On June 16, the Presidential Office announced her as Taipei's new representative to the US.

Her nomination was swiftly approved by the US government. So, the president has special hopes that Representative Hsiao can strengthen the foundation for deeper bilateral relations in the future.

The US has signed off on the appointment. Hsiao received her master's in political science from Columbia University and served four terms as legislator. She was previously the Democratic Progressive Party's director of international affairs and also worked at the DPP's US office. Her goals will be to strengthen bilateral cooperation and arrange a visit to Washington for Tsai Ing-wen along with a meeting with Donald Trump.

We have crossed paths professionally. She has decent qualifications. Apart from her language (skills), her greatest advantage is her extremely close relationship with the president. She really understands what the president wants.

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Chen Chien-jen, who also previously served as Taipei representative to the US, says former reps to the US like Joseph Wu and King Pu-tsung that did not have a diplomatic background performed extremely well politically and he hopes Hsiao will be able to find her equilibrium. US Representative Ted Yoho, former American Institute in Taiwan Chair Richard Bush, and former US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver have all given a special welcome to Taipei's first female rep to the US and say Hsiao is a good choice.



準駐美代表 蕭美琴[2020.02.04]表示：「國際上很多朋友也關心，也想要了解台灣的一些防疫經驗。」

2月分，連任花蓮立委失利的蕭美琴，當時陪同副總統當選人賴清德訪美，參加華府國家祈禱早餐會重要活動，就傳出是為了接任外交工作暖身，果然蕭美琴四月先被聘為國安會諮詢委員，16號總統府正式宣布蕭美琴出任駐美代表。

總統府發言人 丁允恭表示：「她的提名，美國政府也迅速地予以同意，所以總統也特別期勉蕭代表，未來要在既有的堅實基礎上面，來持續深化台美兩國之間的關係。」

這項人事案也獲得美方同意，蕭美琴是美國哥倫比亞大學政治學碩士，曾任四屆立委，在外交國防委員會耕耘，曾任民進黨國際事務部主任，也在民進黨駐美辦公室工作，外交經驗豐富，由於台美關係是現在目前對外工作的重點，蕭美琴接任駐美代表，也將強化台美兩國合作，貫徹蔡政府第二任期的目標，積極促成"川蔡會"及訪問華府。

前外交部長 程建人表示：「我跟她以前工作上有接觸，我覺得條件都不錯，她除了語文之外，有一個很大的好處，就是她跟總統之間的管道，非常的暢通，她也很了解總統的立場。」

蕭美琴表現獲得朝野多數肯定，曾任駐美代表及外交部長的程建人表示，過去非外交官出身的駐美代表，像是吳釗燮及金溥聰，政治色彩較濃厚，希望蕭美琴要取得平衡，不過對於首度有女性駐美代表，則給予肯定，美國眾議員約霍，AIT前主席卜睿哲，前美國國防部助理部長薛瑞福則都表示歡迎，認為蕭美琴將是非常適合的人選。