US Official Encourages People to Do Language Exchange Programs in Taiwan Instead of China TAIPEI, Taiwan—U.S. de-facto ambassador to Taiwan said on Jan. 16 that people should turn to Taiwan to learn the Chinese language instead of mainland China. He especially warned about the language programs offered by Beijing-funded Confucius Institutes (CIs) on U.S. college campuses. William Brent Christensen, the Taipei office director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which is the de-facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan, made the remarks at a local Chinese language symposium. The event was part of the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative the two sides launched in December last year.