Taiwan's new top official for cross-strait affairs took his oath of office yesterday, but was immediately attacked by the opposition for failing to identify photos of most of Beijing's top politicians. Wang Yu-chi, a trusted confidant of President Ma Ying-jeou who served as his spokesman from 2008 to 2010, was criticised in parliament immediately after being sworn in as chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council. Wang was shown photos of the nine members of the Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee, but could recognise only two. Among those he failed to identify was the mainland's top lawmaker, Wu Bangguo , and the chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Jia Qinglin - the No2 party leader on Taiwan affairs. "You cannot even recognise Wu Bangguo," said Tsai Chi-chang of the mainland-sceptic main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). "This could be very dangerous for [mainland ] China ties." Tsai pressed on, asking if Wang considered himself up to the task and ready for the new job. "I just need some time," Wang was quoted by Taiwanese news portal NOWnews as saying. "I need to work harder on recognising pictures." The appointment of Wang last month surprised many and raised concerns about whether the scholar-turned-politician was familiar enough with China affairs. Wang succeeds Lai Shin-yuan, who has been appointed the island's envoy to the World Trade Organisation. The mainland and Taiwan have been ruled separately since the end of a civil war in 1949. But Beijing still claims sovereignty over the island and has threatened to invade should it declare formal independence. The two faces Wang could identify during the legislator's questioning were President Hu Jintao and his heir-apparent Xi Jinping , the United Evening News reported. Additional reporting by Staff Reporter