Representative Office of Taiwan, London

The Taipei Representative Office in London stands in the City of Westminster, close to Victoria station. It serves as Taiwan’s highest-level representation in the United Kingdom, handling cultural, economic and political ties despite not being a full embassy. The office also provides consular services to Taiwanese citizens and British residents with Taiwanese interests. Its counterpart in Taipei is the British Office Taipei, which performs similar functions for the UK. The office opened in 1963 as the Free Chinese Centre and became the Taipei Representative Office in 1992. Before that, Britain recognised the Republic of China government until switching to the People’s Republic of China in 1950. The building’s history includes use as a British consulate until 1972. Representatives have led the office since 1993, with Vincent Yao taking charge in 2024. Inside, the office houses consular, culture, economic, education and financial divisions. A science and technology division supports bilateral projects, while the press division manages communications. The nearest station is London Victoria, making the office easy to reach. An Edinburgh branch extends its reach across the UK.