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British Office Taipei

Coordinates: 25°02′23″N 121°33′56″E / 25.03972°N 121.56556°E / 25.03972; 121.56556
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British Office Taipei
英國在台辦事處
British Office Taipei at the Uni-President International Tower
Map
LocationXinyi, Taipei, Taiwan
Address26F, President International Tower, No. 9-11, Song Gao Road
Coordinates25°02′23″N 121°33′56″E / 25.03972°N 121.56556°E / 25.03972; 121.56556
JurisdictionTaiwan
Permanent representativeJohn Dennis
WebsiteBritish Office Taipei

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), formerly British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO), 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 London and Taipei.

Its Taiwanese counterpart in London is the Taipei Representative Office in the UK.

Background

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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

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Heads of mission

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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]
Representative, British Office Taipei (2015–)
Chris Wood 2013 –2016
Damion Potter 2016 Acting[3]
Catherine Nettleton 2016 – 2020 [4]
Andrew Thomas Pittam 2020 Acting
John Dennis 2020 – [5]

Deputy heads of mission

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Name Photo Tenure Note
Deputy Director General, British Trade and Culture Office (1993–2015)
Deborah Anne Clarke 1997- [6][7]
Jeremy Francis Larner 1999 – 2002 [8]
Roderick Bunten 2002 – 2005 [9]
Charles Edmund Garrett 2005-2009 [10]
Margaret Tongue 2009-2013 [11]
Damion Potter 2013-2017 [12]
Deputy Representative, British Office Taipei (2015–)
Andrew Thomas Pittam 2017-2021
Thomas "Tom" Burn 2021- [13][14]

Location

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The office has been located in President International Tower (統一國際大樓) in Xinyi District since 22 January 2008.[15] 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

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Interior of the British Office Taipei on 21 March 2018.

The office, then known as the British Trade and Cultural Office, was opened in October 1993.[16][17] It succeeded the Anglo-Taiwan Trade Committee, a privately financed entity established in 1976,[18] following the closure of the British Consulate in Tamsui in 1972. Unlike its predecessor, it could issue visas directly to people in Taiwan.[19]

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.[16]

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".[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Taiwan and the UK". www.gov.uk. 16 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Change of High Commissioner to Brunei". Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 23 May 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  3. ^ "Damion Potter, Representative, British Office Taipei". gov.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  4. ^ "Former Taiwan Foreign Minister visits the UK". Taipei Representative Office in the U.K. 2 November 2016. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
  5. ^ "John Dennis, Representative, British Office Taipei". gov.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Export Promotion". UK Parliament. 11 July 1997. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  7. ^ "About BTCO". British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO). 2 February 1998. Archived from the original on 2 February 1998. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  8. ^ The Diplomatic Service List. Stationery Office. 2006. p. 245. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  9. ^ The Diplomatic Service List. Stationery Office. 2004. p. 168. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  10. ^ "British Ambassador to Kyrgyzstanː Charles Edmund Garrett OBE". Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Margaret Tongue". British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT). Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  12. ^ "British Ambassador to Panama: Damion Potter". Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Archived from the original on 6 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  13. ^ "Tom Burn". Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Mr Thomas Burn, British High Commission visits Griffith Asia Institute". Griffith University. 31 May 2013. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  15. ^ British Trade and Cultural Office moves to a new office, The China Post, January 29, 2008
  16. ^ a b "House of Commons - Foreign Affairs - Minutes of Evidence". parliament.uk.
  17. ^ Taiwan Yearbook, Government Information Office, 2000, page 147
  18. ^ A Pretence of Privatisation: Taiwan's External Relations, Françoise Mengin, in Privatising the State, Béatrice Hibou, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 2004, pages 157-158
  19. ^ East Asian Executive Reports, Volume 16, International Executive Reports, 1994
  20. ^ BTCO officially changes name to 'British Office', The China Post, May 28, 2015
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