Taipei: Taiwan's government has approved a new round of diplomatic appointments, including new representatives to Fiji and Peru, as well as the country's first-ever representative to Phoenix, Arizona. According to Focus Taiwan, government approvals issued earlier this month have positioned David Wu, currently Taiwan's representative to Sydney, Australia, as the new representative to Fiji. Meanwhile, Lu Chao-jui, who has been serving as the deputy director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MOFA) Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, has been appointed as Taiwan's new representative to Peru. The Executive Yuan also sanctioned the appointment of Kevin Chiao as Taiwan's first representative to Phoenix. Chiao has most recently held the position of deputy secretary-general of the Taiwan Council for U.S. Affairs (TCUSA), a body that functions as Taiwan's counterpart to the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). His diplomatic career also includes serving as a senior aide to the minister of f oreign affairs. Wu and Lu are set to succeed Joseph Chow, the current representative to Fiji, and Francisca Chang, the current representative to Peru. The future roles for Chow and Chang have not been disclosed. These appointments were announced shortly after MOFA revealed plans to establish a representative office in Phoenix, aiming to bolster Taiwan-U.S. exchanges. Phoenix has emerged as a pivotal technology hub, propelled by the expansion of Taiwanese semiconductor investment spearheaded by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC). The ongoing growth has led numerous Taiwanese suppliers to set up operations in the area. MOFA has not yet provided a timeline for when the new Phoenix office will officially commence operations.