British Office Taipei

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British Office Taipei
英國在台辦事處
President International Tower 20080120.jpg
British Office Taipei at the Uni-President International Tower
LocationXinyi, Taipei, Taiwan
Coordinates25°02′23″N 121°33′56″E / 25.03972°N 121.56556°E / 25.03972; 121.56556Coordinates: 25°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 (traditional Chinese: 英國在台辦事處; simplified Chinese: 英国在台办事处; 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 with a principal role to promote the British trade and investment interests. 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 U.K.

History[]

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.[1][2] It succeeded the Anglo-Taiwan Trade Committee, a privately financed entity established in 1976,[3] following the blank made by the withdraw of British Consulate in Tamsui in 1972. Unlike its predecessor, it could issue visas directly to people in Taiwan.[4]

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.[1]

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".[5]

Principal officers[]

Heads of mission[]

Name Photo Tenure Note
Director General, British Trade and Culture Office (1993-2015)
Blank.png 1993 – 1995
Alan S. Collins (cropped) Sir Alan Collins 2864721408 cf3c60c2d2 o.jpg 1995 – 1998
David Coates Blank.png 1999 – 2002
Derek R. Marsh (cropped from 93.4.6 院長接見英國文化辦事處馬德睿處長一行 0930512092943).jpg 2002 – 2005
Michael D. Reilly (cropped from "ROC grants friendship medal to former BTCO director").jpg 2006 – 2009
David Ian Campbell (cropped from File Taipei City Government Press Release 291814435947).jpg 2009 – 2013 [6]
Representative, British Office Taipei (2015-)
Chris Wood Christopher Terence Wood, cropped from 立法院105年3月份活動 (3).jpg 2013 –2016
Damion Potter, British diplomat.png 2016 Acting[7]
Catherine Nettleton Former Taiwan Foreign Minister visits the UK (cropped, Catherine Nettleton).jpg 2016 – 2020 [8]
Andrew Thomas Pittam 06.05 總統接見「英國在台辦事處代表唐凱琳」 - Flickr id 49972701712.jpg 2020 Acting
John Dennis John Dennis.jpg 2020 – [9]

Deputy heads of mission[]

Name Photo Tenure Note
Deputy Director General, British Trade and Culture Office (1993-2015)
Deborah Anne Clarke circa 1998 [10]
Jeremy Francis Larner Blank.png 1999 – 2002 [11]
Roderick Bunten Blank.png 2002 – 2005 [12]
Charles Edmund Garrett Blank.png 2005-2009 [13]
Margaret Tongue Blank.png 2009-2013 [14]
Damion Potter Damion Potter, British diplomat.png 2013-2017 [15]
Deputy Representative, British Office Taipei (2015-)
Andrew Thomas Pittam 06.05 總統接見「英國在台辦事處代表唐凱琳」 - Flickr id 49972701712.jpg 2017-2021
Thomas "Tom" Burn Blank.png 2021- [16][17]

Location[]

The office has been located in President International Tower (統一國際大樓) in Xinyi District on January 22, 2008.[18] It is accessible within walking distance south of Taipei City Hall Station of the Taipei Metro.

See also[]

References[]

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

External links[]

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