TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has appointed a close political ally as premier during a Cabinet reshuffle following the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's heavy losses in local elections.

Su Tseng-chang takes charge of the Cabinet Friday amid tense relations with China, which threatens to use force to take control of the island it claims as its own. Beijing responded to Tsai's 2016 election by cutting all contacts with her government and has ratcheted up economic and diplomatic pressure on the self-governing democracy.

The opposition Nationalist Party, which favors closer ties with Beijing, won 15 of 22 major seats in the Nov. 24 elections, including in the DPP's southern stronghold of Kaohsiung.

Soon after, Tsai resigned as chair of the DPP, which rejects China's demands for unification with the mainland.