Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
外交部
Wàijiāobù (Mandarin)
Gōa-kau-pō͘ (Taiwanese)
Agency overview
FormedMarch 11, 1861 (Zongli Yamen)[1]
January 1, 1912 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
JurisdictionTaiwan
HeadquartersZhongzheng District, Taipei
25°2′20.2″N 121°30′58.78″E / 25.038944°N 121.5163278°E / 25.038944; 121.5163278
EmployeesAbout 2,000
Annual budgetAbout $30 billion NTD
Minister responsible
Deputy Ministers responsible
Agency executive
Parent agencyExecutive Yuan
Websiteen.mofa.gov.tw Edit this at Wikidata

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (abbreviated MOFA; Chinese: 外交部; pinyin: Wàijiāobù; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Gōa-kau-pō͘) is a cabinet-level ministry of Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), and is responsible for the ROC's diplomacy and foreign relations. It is headquartered in the capital Taipei. The incumbent minister is Lin Chia-lung, who took office in 2024 and is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party.

Article 141 of the ROC Constitution provides: "The foreign policy of the Republic of China shall, in a spirit of independence and initiative and on the basis of the principles of equality and reciprocity, cultivate good neighborliness with other nations, and respect treaties and the Charter of the United Nations, in order to protect the rights and interests of overseas compatriots, promote international cooperation, advance international justice and ensure world peace." In accordance with the Constitution, MOFA is committed to defending ROC sovereignty and national interests, implementing foreign policy that enhances Taiwan's prosperity and international status.

The Ministry is in charge of maintaining relations with foreign countries excluding the People's Republic of China, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Mainland Affairs Council. As of July 2024, the ROC has official diplomatic relations with 11 UN member states and the Holy See. Due to the One China policy, the ROC also maintains more than 110 diplomatic missions in the form of 13 embassies, a consulate-general, more than 90 semi-official representative offices, and a permanent mission to the World Trade Organization.

  1. ^ Zhu Weizheng (23 April 2015). Rereading Modern Chinese History. BRILL. pp. 305–. ISBN 978-90-04-29331-1.