TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Sandra Oudkirk visited Taichung on Thursday (July 14), leading Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) to hope for deepening bilateral cooperation.

The two sides could use a "uniquely female point of view" to improve ties in the fields of sports, culture, economy, and tourism, the mayor said the day after the visit, per CNA.

In May, the city’s cultural affairs department sent a publication to the Taipei-based United States representative about the cultural impact of U.S. soldiers on daily life in Taichung in the 1960s. Lu said she had asked the department to send the book to Oudkirk, which laid the foundation for the first meeting between the two on Thursday.

As both were female executives, they could use a uniquely female perspective to promote public affairs and future cooperation, according to the mayor. Taichung City Government also emphasized how it protected monuments honoring Taiwan-U.S. relations, including military clubs and former oil installations.