Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco
![]() 345 4th Street where the representative office is located | |
Agency overview | |
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Formed | 1 March 1979 (as the San Francisco Office of the Coordination Council for North American Affairs) |
Headquarters | 345 4th Street, San Francisco, California |
Agency executive |
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Website | Official website |
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco (TECO-San Francisco, Chinese: 駐舊金山臺北經濟文化辦事處; pinyin: Zhù Jiùjīnshān Táiběi jīngjì wénhuà bànshì chǔ) represents the interests of Taiwan in the western United States, functioning as a de facto consulate. The mission is located in the SoMa in San Francisco. It also oversees Cultural Centers in Chinatown, San Francisco and Milpitas, California. The mission serves Northern California, Nevada and Utah.[2][3]
Background

Following the signing of the Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China which resulted in the United States terminating diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, the consulate of the Republic of China in San Francisco was closed on 28 February 1979. On 1 March 1979, the Coordination Council for North American Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China established the San Francisco Office of the Coordination Council for North American Affairs. On 30 April 1992, it was renamed the San Francisco Office of the North American Affairs Coordinating Committee before it was finally renamed the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco on 10 October 1992.[4][5]
Since August 2020, the office is headed by a director-general, currently Ming-Chi Scott Lai, who previously served as director-general of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston.[6]
In 2023, TECO San Francisco purchased a brand new seven-story building at 345 4th Street, and it was purchased for $52.8 million.[7] After renovations had completed on 17 October 2024, the office with its consular, economic, education and tourism division were all relocated to the fully owned, brand new building.[8]

See also
- Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States
- Diplomatic missions of the Republic of China
References
- ^ "National Chung Hsing University and Utah State University Signed a Collaboration Agreement on Starting a New Chapter in Taiwan-US Higher Educational Exchange". Office of International Affairs of NCHU. 2022-05-23. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
- ^ "北美地區". Bureau of Consular Affairs (Republic of China). Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ "Culture Center of TECO in San Francisco". Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco. 2022-06-27. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
- ^ "中華民國與各國互駐代表機構之建制年表及疑 (1949~2006)" (PDF). rcils.nccu.edu.tw. 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ "104. Address by President Carter to the Nation". Office of the Historian (Department of State). 1978-12-15. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ "Director General". Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco. 2020-08-05. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
- ^ Nieto, Mark (2023-02-14). "TECO Pays $53M for New Office Building in San Francisco". Connect CRE. Archived from the original on 2024-12-19. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
- ^ Li, Han (2023-06-28). "In Buying a Building, Taiwan Bets Big on Downtown San Francisco". The San Francisco Standard. Archived from the original on 2024-12-19. Retrieved 2024-12-19.