US Taiwan envoy resigns

The US State Department announced the resignation of the managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto US diplomatic mission to Taiwan. Therese Shaheen cited family reasons for her resignation, but she had come under criticism for statements about US policy regarding Taiwan and China. Shaheen's most notable gaffe came in 2003 when she told Taiwanese journalists that the US policy of not supporting Taiwanese independence was not tantamount to opposition to the island declaring independence. Political analysts said that Shaheen was under pressure to resign from her post due to statements that were inconsistent with official policy in Washington.