Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office

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The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), sometimes known as a Taipei Representative Office, is a representative office, established by the Republic of China (Taiwan) in countries that have diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the terms of the One China Policy, such countries may not have diplomatic relations with the ROC.

These establishments use the term "Taipei" instead of "Taiwan" or "ROC" since the term "Taipei" avoids implying that Taiwan is a different country or that there are "Two Chinas", the PRC and the ROC, both of which would cause difficulties for their host countries.

Taipei Representative Office in London

TECROs state that their aim is "to promote bilateral trade, investment, culture, science and technology exchanges and cooperation, as well as better understanding", although they perform many of the same functions as a normal embassy or consulate general, like issuing visas and passports.

However, TECROs do not enjoy many diplomatic privileges such as extraterritoriality, cannot provide any consular protection and their staffs do not have any diplomatic immunity. Offices from other countries, such as the American Institute in Taiwan or the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, are similarly established in Taiwan.

1 TECRO in the United States
- 1.1 U.S. TECRO Representatives
2 TECRO in Japan
3 TRO in the United Kindom
4 Taipei Representative Office around the world
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] TECRO in the United States

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston at Suite 2012 of 11 Greenway Plaza

Originally called the Coordination Council for North American Affairs (CCNAA). As a result of the Clinton Administration's Taiwan Policy Review of 1994, the name of the CCNAA office in Washington, D.C. [the "embassy"] was changed to "Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office" (TECRO), and the names of the 12 other CCNAA offices ["consulates"] in the United States were changed to "Taipei Economic and Cultural Office" (TECO).[1]

[edit] U.S. TECRO Representatives

Jason Hu, ? - 1997
Stephen S F Chen, 1997 - 2000
Chien-jen (C.J.) Chen, 2000 - 2004
Tawei (David) Lee, 2004 - April 2007
Joseph Wu, 2007 -

[edit] TECRO in Japan

Diplomatic relations between ROC and Japan were broken off in September 1972. For practical reasons, the Association of East Asian Relations (EARA), was established in two months after Japan-China Joint Communique was signed. EARA had offices in Taipei, Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka. In 1992, Japan authorized the change in name of EARA to TECRO, a move that was followed by U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1994.

However, the situation in Okinawa was different. Okinawa was occupied by the United States since the end of World War II until 1972, and its name under the occupation was Ryukyu. In 1958, the ROC established Sino-Ryukyuan Cultural and Economic Association. After Okinawa's return to Japan in May 1972 and the severance of diplomatic relations in September, the Office in Okinawa remained with the same name. This office, under a different title, had existed simultaneously with the TECRO offices in Japan until 2006, when the office in Okinawa was merged into the Office in Tokyo.

This curiosity may have arisen because the Ryūkyū Kingdom was a tributary state of China (the Ming and Qing Dynasties) before the 19th century, and consequently the ROC, as the successor government of the Qing, may for historical reasons still distinguish Okinawa from Japan.

[edit] TRO in the United Kindom

In 1950, the UK switched recognition from Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), while maintaining the British Consulate in Tamsui, through which the UK continued to carry out consular and trade-related activities. The Consulate was closed after the UK and the PRC upgraded relations to Ambassadorial level in March 1972, and in June 1980 the building and land of the Consulate were returned to the Taiwanese government. The Taiwanese government’s office in the UK was set up in September 1963, and at the time was known as the Free Chinese Centre. On 15 April 1992, this was revised to become the Taipei Representative Office in the UK.

[edit] Taipei Representative Office around the world

The list below shows the countries where TECROs/TROs are established. The third row are those in which the title of the overseas offices is different.

Canada