TAIPEI, Taiwan: President-elect Lai Ching-te of Taiwan announced his cabinet and security team appointments on Thursday in anticipation of assuming office next month amid escalating tensions with China.
China, which considers Taiwan a part of its territory and has threatened to use force to assert control, has labeled Lai a “dangerous separatist.”
Lai acknowledged the unprecedented challenges facing Taiwan and emphasized the critical role of the national security team in safeguarding the country’s future amidst growing authoritarianism and increased pressure from China.
Wellington Koo, appointed as the new defence minister, stressed Taiwan’s importance in regional peace and stability, emphasizing the need to contribute to cooperative deterrence efforts to complicate China’s military calculations and maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Joseph Wu, the current foreign minister, will assume leadership of the national security council, while Lin Chia-lung, the presidential office’s secretary-general, will become the new foreign minister.
Taiwan is separated from China by a narrow 180-kilometer waterway.
