Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia

{{short description|De facto embassy of Taiwan in Australia}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}

{{Infobox government agency

|agency_name = Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia
駐澳大利亞代表處

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|formed = 1988 (as Taiwan Marketing Services)
1991 (as Taipei Economic and Cultural Office)

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|jurisdiction = {{AUS}}
{{flag|Tonga}}
{{flag|Kiribati}}
{{flag|Solomon Islands}}

|headquarters = Barton, Canberra, Canberra

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|chief1_name = {{ill|Douglas Yu-tien Hsu|lt=|zh|徐佑典}}

|chief1_position = Representative

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|website = [https://www.roc-taiwan.org/au_en/ Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia]

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The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia (TECO; {{zh |t = 駐澳大利亞代表處 |p = Zhù Àodàlìyǎ Dàibiǎo Chù}}) represents interests of Taiwan in Australia in the absence of formal diplomatic relations, functioning as a de facto embassy.[http://www.roc-taiwan.org/ct.asp?xItem=136350&CtNode=1590&mp=212&xp1= Organisation of TECO] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222032806/http://www.roc-taiwan.org/ct.asp?xItem=136350&CtNode=1590&mp=212&xp1= |date=22 February 2015 }}

The Office is headed by a Representative, currently Elliott Charng.{{cite web|url=http://www.taiwanembassy.org/au_en/post/8.html|title=About the Representative}}

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

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.[https://books.google.com/books?id=esT-P4oEkrUC&dq=taipei+market+service+canberra&pg=PA33 Australia and China: Partners in Asia], Colin Mackerras, Macmillan Education, 1996, page 33 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.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=G_tjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=p-UDAAAAIBAJ&pg=922%2C4317909 Love-hate with Taiwan], Sydney Morning Herald, March 12, 1974, page 4

Its counterpart in Taiwan is the Australian Office in Taipei, formerly the Australian Commerce and Industry Office.[http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/print/2012/05/30/2003534092 Australian office renamed], Taipei Times, 30 May 2012