TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Joanne Ou (歐江安), spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), has been appointed as the new Taiwanese representative to New Zealand.

Ou, 48, has served as the MOFA spokeswoman since August 2019. Proficient in English and Spanish, she was an interpreter before becoming the youngest ever spokesperson for the ministry.

A career diplomat, she was posted to Taiwan’s de facto embassy in New York between 2001-2008 and 2011-2017, responsible for U.N.-related affairs.

In other appointments, Representative to Argentina Tsao Li-jey (曹立傑) is the new ambassador to Guatemala. The diplomat served as vice foreign minister, ambassador to Saint Kitts and Nevis and Panama, as well as representative to Peru and Argentina.

Tsao’s post will be filled by Hsie Miao-hung (謝妙宏), whose tenure as ambassador to El Salvador lasted between 2016 and 2018, when the Central American country broke ties with Taiwan in favor of China.

Y. C. Tsai (蔡允中), who hails from a background in economics, has been named the new envoy to Italy and Phoebe Yeh (葉非比), a former MOFA spokesperson, is now the de facto ambassador to Malaysia.

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文)(left) presides over the swearing-in ceremony for new ambassadors. (Presidential Office photo)