CIAO DATE: 04/02

Political Change in Taiwan: Implications for American Policy An address by Richard Bush and Roundtable Discussion on Taiwan's Historic 2000 Elections

Richard Bush is chairman of the board and managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a private organization that conducts unofficial re-lations with the island of Taiwan on behalf of the United States government. Established in April 1979, AIT has a small headquarters in Washington, D.C., and offices in Taipei and Kaohsiung. Dr. Bush was appointed to the AIT Board by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on September 2, 1997, and was selected as chairman and managing director on the same day.

Dr. Bush was born in Chicago in 1947. As a boy, he lived in the Philippines (1950-55) and Hong Kong (1960-65), where his parents were missionaries. He attended college at Lawrence University and graduated with a degree in political science in 1969. He studied Chinese politics and history at Columbia University from 1969 to 1977 (except for an 18-month period of service in the U.S. Army) and received his doctorate in political science in May 1978. From 1977 to mid-1983 Bush worked on the staff of the Asia Society's China Council. From July 1983 to January 1993 he was a staff consultant on the House Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs, and advised the chairman, Stephen J. Solarz, on issues regarding China, Taiwan, and Indochina, and the countries of the Western Hemisphere. From January 1993 to July 1995 Bush served on the Democratic staff of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs/ International Relations, working on Asia Pacific issues. From July 1995 until his current appointment, he was a member of the Na-tional Intelligence Council.

Dr. Bush is married to Martha Hodge Bush, who works for the Council of Chief State Schools Officers. They have two children, Sharmon Melissa Bush and Andrew Milton Bush, who in May 1997 graduated from the University of Maryland and Virginia Polytechnic University, respectively.

Full Text of Forum Proceedings Article (PDF, 64pgs, 316 Kb)