Alex Wong, US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, arrived in Taipei on March 20, 2018 a 3-day visit. He was to join Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen at a banquet on March 21. Alex Wong is the first U.S. official to visit Taiwan after U.S. President Donald Trump signed the Taiwan Travel Act into law on March 17, which promotes meetings and visits between high-ranking American and Taiwanese government officials.  Sonia Urbom,  spokeswoman  for the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) clarified "Wong's visit is not occurring in response to the Taiwan Travel Act. Wong's trip has been planned for some time." 

(Comment: Alex Wong, who took office in December 2017, is the first Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs appointed since Trump took office and according to one source is charge of Trump's "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" strategy.)