The new U.S. representative to Taiwan pledged Friday to continue the work of his predecessors in further strengthening bilateral relations and supporting the maintenance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. William A. Stanton, the new director of the Taipei office of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) , made the remarks at a news conference held upon his arrival at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in northern Taiwan. At the beginning of the news conference, Stanton greeted the local public with a 'How Are You' in Mandarin Chinese and said he felt honored to return to Taiwan to head the AIT Taipei office, which represents U.S. interests in the absence of formal diplomatic ties. 'Although I last lived in Taiwan 22 years ago, I have many fond memories, including the birth of my older daughter Kate who was therefore -- as I said in Washington recently -- 'made in Taiwan, '' Stanton said. The new envoy lauded the enormous progress Taiwan has made in the past two decades. 'Taiwan is of course an economic miracle. With virtually no natural resources other than intelligence and hard work of its people, it is now the 26th largest economy in the world,' he said. The career diplomat also praised Taiwan's progress in democratic development. 'Just after I left Taiwan, martial law was lifted, and now Taiwan is a vibrant democracy built on the foundation of a civil society of the people of tawain and NGOs. This is an impressive achievement that the people of Taiwan can all be proud of,' he added. Acknowledging that the United States is proud of the support it has given Taiwan in achieving those goals, Stanton said the success of U.S. policy toward Taiwan has been built on the Taiwan Relations Act, which was enacted 30 years ago. 'Our commitment to that policy is firm, and on that basis we will continue to improve our relations,' he promised. Noting that relations between America and Taiwan are fundamentally based on shared values as well as common interests, Stanton said thiose values will continue to guide the development of bilateral ties. Stanton said that in the coming weeks and months, he will listen carefully to the people of Taiwan on how the two countries may best continue to make progress. 'I also look forward to working with you, members of the Taiwan media, and plan to hold a press conference after I have a chance to reacquaint myself with Taiwan,' he added. Stanton's most recent assignment was as deputy chief of the U.S. Embassy in South Korea. He also had served as Charge d'Affaires ad interim and as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Canberra, Australia. With his experience of studying Chinese in Taipei between 1986 and 1987, he has a fair understanding of Taiwan. 