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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

British 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 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 UK.

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. It succeeded the Anglo-Taiwan Trade Committee, a privately financed entity established in 1976, following the closure of the British Consulate in Tamsui in 1972. Unlike its predecessor, it could issue visas directly to people in Taiwan.

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.

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".

Principal officers

Heads of mission

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

Deputy heads of mission

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

Location

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

See also