Taipei, Sept. 19 (CNA) King Pu-tsung, a long-time adviser to President Ma Ying-jeou, has been appointed Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the United States, senior officials said Wednesday.

King, a former Kuomintang (KMT) secretary-general and now the top adviser of the KMT's international affairs department, will succeed Taiwan's incumbent representative to the U.S., Jason Yuan.

Yuan, 70, will take up a position as secretary-general of the National Security Council after incumbent Secretary-General Hu Wei-jen resigned from the post to take a position as a senior advisor to the Presidential Office, officials close to the matter said.

The 56-year-old King previously served as deputy Taipei mayor from 2004-2006, when Ma was mayor. A year after Ma was elected president in 2008, King was appointed KMT secretary-general by Ma, who doubles as party chairman.

During the Jan. 14 presidential election this year, King helped Ma with his re-election bid by serving as executive director of Ma's campaign office.

(By Jamie Wang)
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