Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (abbreviated MOFA; Chinese: 中華民國外交部; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó Wàijiāobù; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tiong-hôa Bîn-kok Gōa-kau-pō͘) is a cabinet-level ministry in the government of Taiwan. It is headquartered in the capital Taipei, Taiwan. The incumbent minister is Joseph Wu, who took office in 2018 and is affiliated with the Democratic Progressive Party.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Taiwan
中華民國外交部
Zhōnghuá Mínguó Wàijiāobù (Mandarin)
Seal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(外交部印)
Agency overview
FormedMarch 11, 1861 (Zongli Yamen)[1]
January 1, 1912 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
JurisdictionGovernment of Taiwan
HeadquartersZhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan
25°2′20.2″N 121°30′58.78″E
EmployeesAbout 2,000
Annual budgetAbout $30 billion NTD
Minister responsible
Deputy Ministers responsible
  • Roy Chun Lee (Deputy Minister)
  • Tien Chung-kwang (Deputy Minister)
  • Alexander Yui (Vice Minister)
Websitehttps://en.mofa.gov.tw/Default.aspx

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for the Taiwan's diplomacy and foreign relations. 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 China, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Mainland Affairs Council. As of May 2023, Taiwan has official diplomatic relations with 12 UN member states and the Holy See. Taiwan 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.

Administration
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs

MOFA is composed of the following departmental structures:[2]

Departmental Structure
  • Secretariat
  • Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
  • Department of West Asian and African Affairs
  • Department of European Affairs
  • Department of North American Affairs
  • Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs
  • Department of Treaty and Legal Affairs
  • Department of International Organizations
  • Department of International Cooperation and Economic Affairs
  • Department of International Information Services
  • Department of Policy Planning
  • Department of Protocol
  • Department of General Affairs
  • Department of Personnel
  • Department of Civil Service Ethics
  • Department of Accounting
  • Department of Archives, Information Management and Telecommunications
  • Public Diplomacy Coordination Council
  • Department of NGO International Affairs
  • The Office of Parliamentarian Affairs
  • Bureau of Consular Affairs
  • Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs
  • Taiwan–Japan Relations Association
  • Coordination Council for North American Affairs
  • Central Taiwan Office
  • Southern Taiwan Office
  • Eastern Taiwan Office
  • Southwestern Taiwan Office

Budget

According to statistics published by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics for Fiscal Year 2011, the budget for MOFA is equivalent to approx. 10.37% of the budget for the Ministry of National Defense (MND). The MND budget for 2011 has been announced to be US$9.2 billion. Hence, an estimated MOFA budget figure for Fiscal Year 2011 is US$954 million.

Diplomatic relations
Main article: Foreign relations of Taiwan
Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Holy See
Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the Kingdom of Eswatini.
Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan

The Republic of China has diplomatic relations with 13 countries.[3]

Oceania

North America

South America

Africa

Europe

Republic of China Representative Offices Abroad
Main article: Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office

For countries with which the Republic of China does not have formal diplomatic relations, representation is often referred to as the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Taipei Economic and Cultural Representatives Office or Taipei Representative Offices, which serve the same function as embassy or consulate.[4]

Foreign missions in the Republic of China
Apostolic Nunciature in the Republic of China (Taiwan)
  • Embassy of the Republic of Nauru
  • Embassy of Saint Christopher and Nevis
  • Embassy of Belize
  • Embassy of the Republic of Palau
  • Embassy of the Republic of the Marshall Islands
  • Embassy of the Kingdom of Eswatini
  • Apostolic Nunciature

Ministers
Joseph Wu, the incumbent Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Main article: Minister of Foreign Affairs (Republic of China)

Access

The MOFA building is accessible by NTU Hospital Station of the Taipei Metro on the Red Line.

See also

References
  1. Zhu Weizheng (23 April 2015). Rereading Modern Chinese History. BRILL. pp. 305–. ISBN 978-90-04-29331-1.
  2. "Issue". Mofa.gov.tw. 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
  3. "Issue". Mofa.gov.tw. 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
  4. "Issue". Mofa.gov.tw. 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
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