TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Monday appointed National Security Council Deputy Secretaries-General Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) and Liu Te-chin (劉得金) as senior advisors.

The appointments took immediate effect, the Presidential Office said.

Hsu, a former deputy foreign minister, has “both academic and practical experience” and is “well-versed in diplomacy and cross-strait politics,” Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said.

Liu, previously inspector general at the Ministry of National Defense, is “familiar with international military cooperation, intelligence assessment, and defense strategy,” Kuo added.

Taipei City Councilor Chao Yi-hsiang (趙怡翔) and Presidential Office Spokesperson Li Wen (李問) will replace them as NSC deputy secretaries-general.

Meanwhile, Cheng Chun-sheng (鄭俊昇) was named deputy secretary-general of the Presidential Office, effective immediately. A former director of the Democratic Progressive Party’s polling center and secretary to ex-President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Cheng will assist in advancing governance, gauging public sentiment, and addressing the needs of citizens, according to Kuo.