Speaker's summary:
Drawing on insights gained during a trip to Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, and Tokyo in late October, as well as discussions with scholars and officials from mainland China, Taiwan, Ambassador Ray Burghardt will discuss what the outcome of Taiwan's presidential election means for its domestic politics, including President-elect Lai Ching-te’s weak mandate and the three-party deadlock in the new legislature. He will also explore the effect on the Biden administration’s view and plans, as well as the immediate and likely future reaction from Beijing.
Speaker's Bio:
Ambassador Ray Burghardt served from 2006 - 2016 as Chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the entity that manages US relations with Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties. Burghardt was Director of AIT’s Taipei office from 1999-2001, a sensitive period of political transition. As Consul General in Shanghai (1997-99), he was the US Government’s interlocutor with China’s lead negotiator with Taiwan.
Ambassador Burghardt was one of the US State Department’s leading experts on Asia, serving as Ambassador to Vietnam (2001-2004), Deputy Chief of Mission in Manila (1993-96) and Seoul (1990-93), and Political Counselor in Beijing (1987-89).
He is currently a consultant to the Institute for Defense Analyses. He also serves on several non-profit and corporate boards, including the Pacific Century Institute, a California-based foundation for which he is president; the Barnett Family Foundation, which supports the education of minority girls in Vietnam; and Indochina Capital Corporation, which develops property and makes investments in Vietnam.
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The views expressed are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect East-West Center policies or positions.
