Taiwan's president-elect appoints new team, says island's security difficult

TAIPEI — Taiwan faces a difficult national security situation, with China pressing closer all the time, President-elect Lai Ching-te said on Thursday has he announced the appointments of his new security and diplomacy teams ahead of taking office next month.

China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has ramped up military and political pressure against Taipei over the past four years as it seeks to press sovereignty claims.

Lai, who won election in January and takes office on May 20, is particularly disliked by Beijing, which views him as a dangerous separatist. Lai has repeatedly offered talks with China has but been rebuffed, and says only Taiwan's people can decide their future.

The challenge the new national security team is facing is unprecedented, given the rise of authoritarianism, and China's pressing closer all the time, Lai told reporters as he announced the teams, staffed by people reshuffled from jobs in the current administration.

National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo, a lawyer by training, will take over as defence minister from Chiu Kuo-cheng, a former army commander, Lai said.

Current Foreign Minister Joseph Wu will succeed Koo as head of the National Security Council, while Lin Chia-lung, the serving secretary-general at the Presidential Office, will become the new foreign minister, he added.

The post of the head of the Mainland Affairs Council has gone to Chiu Chui-cheng, a former deputy on the council with years of China policy experience.

Intelligence chief Tsai Ming-yen stays on as head of the National Security Bureau.

The names of all the new ministers had been widely reported in Taiwanese media ahead of the announcement.

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