"The challenges facing the new national security team are unprecedented," Lai said at a press conference in Taipei, where he announced his incoming foreign and defense ministers, as well as the heads of the National Security Council and National Security Bureau, among other top officials. Lin Chia-lung, the current secretary-general of the Presidential Office and former mayor of Taichung City, will be the new foreign minister, replacing Joseph Wu, who will take over as secretary-general of the National Security Council. Wellington Koo, a lawyer by training, will replace Chiu Kuo-cheng, a retired general, as defense minister. Tsai Ming-yen will remain in his current post as head of the National Security Bureau, while the Mainland Affairs Council — the government agency responsible for relations with China — will be led by Chiu Chui-cheng, its spokesperson from 2016 to 2023. In Lai's view, these figures share three key characteristics: They are "professional" and "experienced" politicians, they have the ability to cooperate with each other, and they view Taiwan as "their own responsibility." "In the face of the rise of totalitarianism and China's continued encroachment, the national security team must take responsibility for the country and protect it," said Lai, who pledged to lead the new administration "using peace as a beacon and democracy as a compass." Lai — who is seen as a "separatist" by Beijing — and the rest of his Cabinet will be sworn in on May 20, four months and one week after the island's last presidential election, which Lai won with 40% of the vote. See also: Taiwan compromete-se a remover estátuas de Chiang (Portuguese version)