The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), also known as Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), Taipei Representative Office (TRO) or Taipei Mission, is an alternative diplomatic institution serving as a de facto embassy or a consulate of the Republic of China (ROC, commonly referred to as Taiwan) to exercise the foreign affairs and consular services in specific countries which have established formal diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC, commonly referred to as China). The PRC denies the legitimacy of the ROC as a sovereign state and claims the ROC-controlled territories as an integral part of its territory. An exclusive mandate, namely One-China principle, requires that any country wishing to establish a diplomatic relationship with the PRC must first sever any formal relationship with the ROC. According to The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, "non-recognition of the Taiwanese government is a prerequisite for conducting formal diplomatic relations with the PRCin effect forcing other governments to choose between Beijing and Taipei." As a result, these countries only allow the ROC to establish representative offices instead of a fully-fledged embassy or consulate for the purpose of conducting practical bilateral relations without granting full diplomatic recognition.
Except in Lithuania and Somaliland (opened in 2020), all offices use the capital city "Taipei" and refrain from using the name "Taiwan" or the "Republic of China", since the term "Taipei" avoids implying that Taiwan is a different country on par with the PRC or that there are "Two Chinas", the PRC and the ROC, in order to diminish the obstacles of building pragmatic diplomacy and sidestep the political status of Taiwan. The first attempt of using the name "Taiwan" in a Taiwanese diplomatic mission within a non-diplomatic state was when Lithuania broke the tradition with the name Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania in 2021. In response the PRC expelled Lithuania's embassy staff from Beijing and downgraded diplomatic relations to charge d'affaires status. Attempts by other countries, including Fiji, to allow ROC government to change the representative office to indicate "Taiwan" later failed and were reversed under pressure from PRC government.
On the other side, offices located in Taiwan usually also use the term "Taipei", though the United States, Japan, and Somaliland (but not Lithuania) use "Taiwan" (for example the American Institute in Taiwan).
TECROs state that their aim is "to promote bilateral trade, investment, culture, science and technology exchanges and cooperation, as well as better understanding", and provide common consular services towards overseas Taiwanese, such as issuing visas and passports.
TECROs in the United States enjoy many diplomatic privileges such as extraterritoriality, providing consular protection and their staff have diplomatic immunity.New US diplomatic immunity pact a breakthrough: MOFA , The China Post, February 6, 2013 Other countries also establish reciprocal representative offices in Taiwan, such as the American Institute in Taiwan, Canadian Trade Office in Taipei and Japan–Taiwan Exchange Association.
History
Following the admission of the PRC to the United Nations in 1971, many countries began to establish diplomatic relations with the government in Beijing, and as a consequence, ended diplomatic relations with the Nanjing-based ROC Government stationed in Taipei.The Road Less Traveled , Taiwan Review, September 1, 2002 In order to maintain trade and cultural ties with countries with which it no longer had diplomatic relations, Taiwan established representative offices in these countries, often replacing its former embassies.
Before the 1990s, the names of these offices would vary considerably from country to country, usually omitting any reference to "Taiwan" or "Republic of China", instead referring to "East Asia", "Far East" or "Free China".China and Europe Since 1978: A European Perspective , Richard L. Edmonds, Cambridge University Press, 2002, page 141 They would also describe themselves as "centres" or "offices", concerned with trade, tourism, culture or information, thereby emphasising their private and unofficial status, despite being staffed by Ministry of Foreign Affairs personnel.
For example, in Japan, the former ROC Embassy was replaced by the "Association of East Asian Relations" (AEAR) in 1972.International Law of Recognition and the Status of the Republic of China , Hungdah Chiu, in The United States and the Republic of China: Democratic Friends, Strategic Allies, and Economic Partners, Steven W. Mosher Transaction Publishers, 1992, page 24 In Malaysia, following the closure of the consulate general in Kuala Lumpur in 1974, an office known as the Far East Travel and Trade Centre was established.Foreign Policy of the New Taiwan: Pragmatic Diplomacy in Southeast Asia , Jie Chen, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2002, page 82 In the Philippines, the former embassy in Manila was replaced by the "Pacific Economic and Cultural Center", established in 1975. In Thailand, the former embassy in Bangkok was replaced by the "Office of the Representative of China Airlines" in 1975.The Changing Political Economy of Taiwan's and China's Relations with Southeast Asia: A Comparative Perspective , Samuel C Y Ku in China and Southeast Asia: Global Changes and Regional Challenge, Ho Khai Leong, Samuel C Y Ku, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2005, page 259 This was later renamed the Far East Trade Office in 1980.
In the United States, Taipei's mission, established in 1979, was known as the "Coordination Council for North American Affairs" (CCNAA).Memorandum of Understanding between the American Institute in Taiwan and the Coordination Council for North American Affairs on the Exchange of Information Concerning Commodity Futures and Options Matters , Signed at Arlington, Virginia this 11th day of January 1993 As of 2019, it has been renamed "Taiwan Council for US Affairs."
In the United Kingdom, Taiwan was represented by the "Free Chinese Centre", established in 1963.The Cold War's Odd Couple: The Unintended Partnership Between the Republic of China and the UK, 1950–1958 , Steven Tsang, I.B.Tauris, 2006, page 39 In West Germany, it was represented by a Büro der Fernost-Informationen ("Far East Information Office") established in 1972.Die Beziehungen zwischen Taiwan und Deutschland, Taipeh Vertretung in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland In Spain, the office, established in 1973, was known as the Centro Sun Yat-sen ("Sun Yat-sen Centre").Pretence of Privatisation: Taiwan's External Relations , Françoise Mengin, in Privatising the State, Béatrice Hibou, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 2004, pages 154 In the Netherlands, the office was known as the "Far East Trade Office".
However, in the late 1980s, these offices began using the name "Taipei" in their titles due to confusion on their functions, particular those needing visa to travel to ROC areas. Using the "Taipei" is more familiar as it was recently used in the Olympics after "Chinese Taipei" Olympics team rejoined in 1981. In May 1992, the AEAR offices in Japan became Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Offices.Republic of China Yearbook Kwang Hwa Publishing Company, 1998, 145 The "Free Chinese Centre" in London was similarly renamed the "Taipei Representative Office".Former diplomats to Great Britain remember Thatcher , The China Post, 10 April 2013 In September 1994, the Clinton Administration announced that the CCNAA office in Washington could similarly be called the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office.Taiwan's Relations with Mainland China: A Tail Wagging Two Dogs , Chi Su Routledge, 2008, page 31
Earlier in 1989, the "Pacific Economic and Cultural Center" in Manila became the "Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines".Ensuring Interests: Dynamics of China-Taiwan Relations and Southeast Asia , Khai Leong Ho, Guozhong He, Institute of China Studies, University of Malaya, 2006, page 25 In 1991, the "Taiwan Marketing Service" office in Canberra, Australia, established in 1988, also became a "Taipei Economic and Cultural Office", along with the "Far East Trading Company" offices in Sydney and Melbourne.Australia and China: Partners in Asia , Colin Mackerras, Macmillan Education, 1996, page 33
Other names are still used elsewhere; for example, the mission in Moscow is formally known as the "Representative Office in Moscow for the Taipei-Moscow Economic and Cultural Coordination Commission", the mission in New Delhi is known as the "Taipei Economic and Cultural Center".MoU between India-Taipei Association (ITA) in Taipei and Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in India on cooperation in the field of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises , Press Information Bureau, Government of India, Cabinet, 14 October 2015 The mission in Pretoria is known as the "Taipei Liaison Office".
The two most recent ones to change their official names, in Papua New Guinea and in Jordan, both use the name Taipei Economic and Cultural Office ().
TECRO in the United States
TECRO in Japan
Diplomatic relations between the Republic of China and Japan were broken off in September 1972. For practical reasons, the Association of East Asian Relations (AEAR), was established two months after the Japan-China Joint Communique was signed. EARA had offices in Taipei, Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka.The International Law of Recognition and the Status of the Republic of China , Hungdah Chiu in The United States and the Republic of China: Democratic Friends, Strategic Allies, and Economic Partners, Steven W. Mosher, Transaction Publishers, 1992, page 24 In 1992, Japan authorized the change in name of AEAR to TECRO.
Representations in the PRC special administrative regions Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, from 1966, Taiwan was represented by the 'Chung Hwa Travel Service', a name chosen to avoid upsetting Beijing.Is name change a game changer? , Taipei Times, 17 July 2011 On 20 July 2011, as a result of warming relations between Taiwan and Beijing, the name was formally changed to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, bringing it into line with other Republic of China representative offices around the world.Taiwan changes name of HK office , RTHK News, 15 July 2011
Macau
In Macau, from 1989 to 1999, Taiwan was represented by the 'Taipei Trade and Tourism Office', Taiwan's first-time representation in Macau after Kuomintang's expulsion from Macau as the consequence of the December 3rd Incident in 1966. From 1999 to 2011, Taiwan was represented by the 'Taipei Economic and Cultural Center'. On 13 May 2012, the name was formally changed to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office.Macau representative office in Taiwan opens The China Post, May 14, 2012
Taipei Representative Office in Norway
The Taipei Representative Office in Norway () was established in 1980.A Pretence of Privatisation: Taiwan's External Relations , Françoise Mengin, in Privatising the State, Béatrice Hibou, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 2004, pages 154
In July 2017, the ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the office will be suspended on 30 September 2017 and affairs related to Taiwanese in the country will be handled by Taipei Mission in Sweden. The decision was made to improve the efficiency of the foreign diplomatic missions of Taiwan.
Taipei representative offices around the world The list below shows the countries or regions where TECROs/TROs are established.
G20 nations