TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has appointed Wallace Chow (周民淦) as Taiwan’s new representative in the Philippines, reports said Wednesday (May 24).

The former ambassador to diplomatic ally Palau had been heading MOFA’s Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs since Oct. 2021, CNA reported. Earlier in his career as a diplomat, he served as the chief of Taiwan’s office in Honolulu, Hawaii, and also advised the National Security Council (NSC).

His predecessor in the Philippines, Michael Hsu (徐佩勇), left Manila on April 30. Chow is expected to take up his new position on June 10, according to the report.

More than 150,000 Philippine workers are employed in Taiwan, while both countries also face tense relations with China, with Beijing also claiming sovereignty over parts of the South China Sea close to the Philippines.