Director General Chou met with Associate Director Leland Lazarus of Florida International University’s Jack D. Gordon Institute of Public Policy .
Associate Director Lazarus has a wealth of experience in the field of public policy, having served as the Special Assistant and Speechwriter to the Commander of U.S. Southern Command from 2021-2022 and as a State Department Foreign Service Officer from 2016-2021. He specializes in a broad spectrum of subjects, issues, and policy considerations related to Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as China's influence in that region. Additionally, he is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.
During their meeting, Director General Chou expressed gratitude for Associate Director Lazarus' support and expertise. They discussed China's recent overreaction to President Tsai Ing-wen's diplomatic visits to Guatemala and Belize, as well as her transit stops in the U.S. Director General Chou expressed concern that China's military drills were undermining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific region. He also stated that Taiwan will continue to maintain close communication and coordination with the United States and other like-minded countries in jointly deterring authoritarian expansionism and aggression.
(from left to right): Director Brian Fonseca of Florida International University’s Jack D. Gordon Institute of Public Policy, Director General Chou, and Associate Director Leland Lazarus.
