Taiwan taps young blood for security council as it faces Beijing and Trump
Appointees in their thirties will help Taipei deal with ‘hostile infiltration and grey-zone threats’, according to William Lai’s office
The office of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te announced on Monday that its spokesman Lii Wen and Taipei City councillor Chao Yi-hsiang had been appointed deputy secretaries general of the National Security Council (NSC) with immediate effect. The two men, both in their thirties, replaced seasoned deputies Hsu Szu-chien and Liu Te-chin, who were reassigned as advisers.
Approval and trust ratings for both Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) plunged to their lowest levels – 36 per cent and 33 per cent respectively – late last month after voters, especially young people, rejected the DPP’s bid to regain parliamentary control by unseating 31 lawmakers from the Kuomintang, the main opposition party.
Lai has sought to strengthen the NSC by blending veteran experience with younger figures seen as more adept at responding to fast-changing global conditions. Both Lii and Chao previously headed the DPP’s international affairs department and have prior NSC experience, according to Lai’s office.