British Office, Taipei
| British Office, Taipei 英國在台辦事處 | |
|---|---|
The Office at the Uni-President International Tower | |
| Location | Taipei, Taiwan |
| Address | 26F, President International Tower, No. 9-11, Song Gao Road, Xinyi District |
| Coordinates | 25°02′23″N 121°33′56″E / 25.03972°N 121.56556°E |
| Permanent representative | Ruth Bradley-Jones |
| Website | British Office Taipei |
The British Office, Taipei (Chinese: 英國在台辦事處; pinyin: Yīngguó Zài Tái Bànshì Chù; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Eng-kok chāi Tâi Pān-sū-chhù) is the representative office of the United Kingdom Government in Taiwan. It maintains and develops financial, educational, cultural, and technological relations and provides assistance to British nationals in Taiwan.[1] It functions as a de facto embassy in the absence of diplomatic relations between Westminster and Taipei.
Its Taiwanese counterpart in the United Kingdom is the Taipei Representative Office in the United Kingdom.
Background
There are hundreds of UK companies in Taiwan across sectors such as finance, telecommunications, infrastructure, environmental technology, creative industries and marine industries. The late 2010s presented particular opportunities in offshore wind, railways and nuclear decommissioning. Taiwan also serves as a springboard into China for UK companies.[1]
Principal officers
Heads of mission
| Name | Photo | Tenure | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Director General, British Trade and Culture Office (1993–2015)
| ||||
| Philip Morrice | 1993 – 1995 | |||
| Alan S. Collins | 1995 – 1998 | |||
| David Coates | 1999 – 2002 | |||
| Derek R. Marsh | 2002 – 2005 | |||
| Michael D. Reilly | 2006 – 2009 | |||
| David Campbell | 2009 – 2013 | [2] | ||
| Chris Wood | 2013-2015 | |||
Representative, British Office Taipei (2015–)
| ||||
| Chris Wood | 2015 –2016 | |||
| Damion Potter | 2016 | Acting[3] | ||
| Catherine Nettleton | 2016 – 2020 | [4] | ||
| Andrew Thomas Pittam | 2020 | Acting | ||
| John Dennis | 2020 – 2025 | [5] | ||
| Ruth Bradley-Jones | 2025 – | [6] | ||
Deputy heads of mission
| Name | Photo | Tenure | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Deputy Director General, British Trade and Culture Office (1993–2015)
| ||||
| Deborah Anne Clarke | 1997- | [7][8] | ||
| Jeremy Francis Larner | 1999 – 2002 | [9] | ||
| Roderick Bunten | 2002 – 2005 | [10] | ||
| Charles Edmund Garrett | 2005-2009 | [11] | ||
| Margaret Tongue | 2009-2013 | [12] | ||
| Damion Potter | 2013-2015 | [13] | ||
Deputy Representative, British Office Taipei (2015–)
| ||||
| Damion Potter | 2015-2017 | |||
| Andrew Thomas Pittam | 2017-2021 | |||
| Thomas "Tom" Burn | 2021- | [14][15] | ||
Location
The office has been located in President International Tower (統一國際大樓) in Xinyi District since 22 January 2008.[16] It is accessible within walking distance south of Taipei City Hall Station of the Taipei Metro.
The office is co-located with the British Council and the British Chamber of Commerce in Taipei.[1]
History
The office, then known as the British Trade and Cultural Office, was opened in October 1993.[17][18] It succeeded the Anglo-Taiwan Trade Committee, a privately financed entity established in 1976,[19] following the closure of the British Consulate in Tamsui, Taipei County in 1972. Unlike its predecessor, it could issue visas directly to people in Taiwan.[20]
The British Council, which had taken over and expanded the functions of the private Anglo-Taiwan Education Centre, operated the Office's Cultural and Education Section.[17]
On 26 May 2015, its name was changed to British Office Taipei to reflect the full scope of the office work, and the title of its head was changed from "Director General" to "Representative".[21]
See also
- List of diplomatic missions in Taiwan
- Taiwan–United Kingdom relations
- Foreign relations of the United Kingdom
- Foreign relations of Taiwan
References
- ^ a b c "Taiwan and the UK". www.gov.uk. 16 October 2024.
- ^ "Change of High Commissioner to Brunei". Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 23 May 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ^ "Damion Potter, Representative, British Office Taipei". gov.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "Former Taiwan Foreign Minister visits the UK". Taipei Representative Office in the U.K. 2 November 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "New U.K. representative in Taiwan assumes post". Central News Agency. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ Yeh, Joseph (12 February 2025). "New UK envoy to Taiwan takes office". Central News Agency. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ "Export Promotion". UK Parliament. 11 July 1997. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "About BTCO". British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO). 2 February 1998. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ The Diplomatic Service List. Stationery Office. 2006. p. 245.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ The Diplomatic Service List. Stationery Office. 2004. p. 168.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ "British Ambassador to Kyrgyzstanː Charles Edmund Garrett OBE". Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Margaret Tongue". British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT). Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ "British Ambassador to Panama: Damion Potter". Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Tom Burn". Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Retrieved 31 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Mr Thomas Burn, British High Commission visits Griffith Asia Institute". Griffith University. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ British Trade and Cultural Office moves to a new office, The China Post, January 29, 2008
- ^ a b "House of Commons - Foreign Affairs - Minutes of Evidence". parliament.uk.
- ^ Taiwan Yearbook, Government Information Office, 2000, page 147
- ^ A Pretence of Privatisation: Taiwan's External Relations, Françoise Mengin, in Privatising the State, Béatrice Hibou, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 2004, pages 157-158
- ^ East Asian Executive Reports, Volume 16, International Executive Reports, 1994
- ^ "BTCO officially changes name to 'British Office'". The China Post. 28 May 2015. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016.
External links
- "British Office Taipei". gov.uk.