Taiwan president-elect names his foreign, defense ministers

Taiwan's President-elect Lai Ching-te on Thursday named his foreign minister and defense minister, local media reported.

Lin Chia-lung, the former mayor of Taichung -- the island nation's second-largest city -- will serve as foreign minister.

The portfolio of defense minister will go to Wellington Koo, who headed the National Security Council in the outgoing government.

The new administration will take office on May 20.

Announcing names in a press conference, Lai said that the outgoing foreign minister of the Island nation, Joseph Wu, will be the new secretary-general of the National Security Council (NSC), Taiwan Focus reported.

Lai also appointed Chiu Chui-cheng as head of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Taiwan's top government agency in charge of cross-strait affairs.

"As announced today, I'm stepping down from @MOFA_Taiwan May 20. While the job was heavy at times, it's been a tremendous honor to serve as foreign minister for the last 6 yrs," said Joseph Wu in a post shared by the Foreign Ministry on X.

In January, Lai Ching-te of the independence-leaning ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won the presidential election.

Lai has been labeled by Beijing as a "separatist" who could bring war to the island.

China considers Taiwan as its "breakaway province" while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949.