Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia
駐澳大利亞代表處
Agency overview
Formed1988 (as Taiwan Marketing Services)[1]
1991 (as Taipei Economic and Cultural Office)[1]
Jurisdiction Australia
 Tonga
 Kiribati
 Solomon Islands
HeadquartersBarton, Canberra, Canberra
Agency executive
WebsiteTaipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia (TECO; Chinese: 駐澳大利亞代表處; pinyin: Zhù Àodàlìyǎ Dàibiǎo Chù) represents interests of Taiwan in Australia in the absence of formal diplomatic relations, functioning as a de facto embassy.[3]

The Office is headed by a Representative, currently Elliott Charng.[2]

Its head office is in Canberra, but it also has branch offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.[3]

It was established in 1988 as the "Taiwan Marketing Service" office, before becoming the "Taipei Economic and Cultural Office" in 1991, along with the "Far East Trading Company" offices in Sydney and Melbourne, established in 1979.[1] An unofficial organization known as the Australia-Free China Society, headed by New South Wales MP Douglas Darby, also represented Taiwan in Australia from 1974.[4]

Its counterpart in Taiwan is the Australian Office in Taipei, formerly the Australian Commerce and Industry Office.[5]

  1. ^ a b c Australia and China: Partners in Asia, Colin Mackerras, Macmillan Education, 1996, page 33
  2. ^ a b "About the Representative".
  3. ^ a b Organisation of TECO Archived 22 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Love-hate with Taiwan, Sydney Morning Herald, March 12, 1974, page 4
  5. ^ Australian office renamed, Taipei Times, 30 May 2012