President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has named National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) to be the Presidential Office secretary-general, the Presidential Office announced yesterday.
Council adviser Yen Teh-fa (嚴德發), a retired army general and former chief of the General Staff from 2015 to last year, was named as Wu’s successor as head of the council.
Wu and Yen are scheduled to assume their new posts next week, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) said.
Photo: CNA
Wu is replacing Lin Bih-jaw (林碧炤), who resigned on Oct. 20 last year to focus on his writing.
Huang said Wu is an experienced hand at cross-strait affairs who has successfully led the council through the transition period and effectively navigated the international relations challenges that arose from the changing political situation in the region.
During the administration of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), Wu served as chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council and as the nation’s representative to Washington. He later served as Democratic Progressive Party secretary-general and the party’s representative to Washington, before being appointed to the council last year.
Photo: courtesy of the Military News Agency
Tsai has praised Wu’s professionalism and calm performance, Huang said.
Yen established a broad professional portfolio during his four decades of military service, with a successful track record in bolstering the military’s emergency response capabilities and raising the reputation of the armed forces, Huang said.
Yen was appointed to the council’s top post because his professional abilities would be relied upon to assist the government in devising national defense and homeland security policies, Huang said.
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