Taipei: Taiwan's government has approved the appointment of Andy Chen as the country's new ambassador to Palau. Chen, who has been serving as the foreign ministry's chief liaison officer to the Legislative Yuan, will take over from Jessica Lee, the current ambassador who will be returning to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) headquarters in Taipei.

According to Focus Taiwan, Chen has held the position of director general of MOFA's Office of Parliamentarian Affairs since February. His diplomatic career includes serving as Taiwan's representative to Oman from 2021 to 2022 and overseeing Taiwan's office in Vancouver from 2018 to 2021. He also has experience in Brunei and the Philippines. Chen holds a bachelor's degree in Arabic Language and Culture from National Chengchi University.

Lee, who has been the leading envoy in Palau since October 2021, will be concluding her term as Chen steps into the role. Palau remains one of the 12 countries globally that maintain diplomatic relations with Taipei instead of Beijing.