# Straits Exchange Foundation

The Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF; Chinese: 海峽交流基金會; pinyin: Hǎixiá Jiāoliú Jījīnhuì; often abbreviated as 海基會) is a semiofficial organization set up by the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to handle civil and business matters with the People's Republic of China (PRC). Though technically a private organization, it is funded by the government and under the supervision of the Mainland Affairs Council of the Executive Yuan. Its role is effectively to function as the de facto embassy to the PRC, as a means of avoiding acknowledgement of the PRC's statehood status.
Its counterpart in the PRC is the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS).

## History

Business and civil activities across Taiwan Strait resumed when the armed conflict between the two side ceased after the end of the Cold War. Due to the complexity of the political and legal status of cross-strait relations and lack of contact between the two opposing governments during the conflict, the ROC government had to create an intermediary body from the private sector to deal with cross-strait matters. Thus on 9 March 1991, the SEF was formally established with the help of the government and private sector funds.
At the same time, the PRC government established ARATS. The creation of these two offices facilitate a new stage in cross-strait relations after they had been virtually non-existent for almost 50 years since the establishment of PRC.

## Organization structure

* Department of Cultural Affairs
* Department of Economic Affairs
* Department of Legal Affairs
* Department of Planning and Public Affairs
* Secretariat
* Personnel Office
* Accounting Office

## List of chairpersons

| No. | Name | Term of Office | Term of Office | Days |
| 1 | Koo Chen-fu 辜振甫 | 21 November 1990 | 3 January 2005 | 5157 |
| — | Johnnason Liu 劉德勳 | 3 January 2005 | 10 June 2005 | 158 |
| 2 | Chang Chun-hsiung 張俊雄 | 10 June 2005 | 21 May 2007 | 710 |
| 3 | Hung Chi-chang 洪奇昌 | 12 July 2007 | 19 May 2008 | 313 |
| 4 | Chiang Pin-kung 江丙坤 | 26 May 2008 | 27 September 2012 | 1585 |
| 5 | Lin Join-sane 林中森 | 27 September 2012 | 20 May 2016 | 1331 |
| — | Chen Ter-shing 陳德新 | 20 May 2016 | 12 September 2016 | 115 |
| 6 | Tien Hung-mao 田弘茂 | 12 September 2016 | 27 March 2018 | 561 |
| 7 | Katharine Chang 張小月 | 27 March 2018 | 5 June 2020 | 801 |
| 8 | David Lee 李大維 | 5 June 2020 | 3 August 2020 | 59 |
| — | Rock Hsu [zh] 許勝雄 | 28 August 2020 | 13 February 2023 | 899 |
| 8 | David Lee 李大維 | 14 February 2023 | 7 June 2024 | 479 |
| 9 | Cheng Wen-tsan 鄭文燦 | 7 June 2024 | 7 July 2024 | 30 |
| — | Rock Hsu 許勝雄 | 18 July 2024 | 3 November 2024 | 108 |
| 10 | Frank Wu 吳豐山 | 4 November 2024 | Incumbent | 52 |

## SEF branch office in Mainland China

On 11 April 2013, the Executive Yuan approved a bill to open SEF branch offices in Mainland China. In the initial announcement, three offices were planned.

## SEF building

The current SEF building in Beian Road originated since its groundbreaking construction on 25 September 2010 when its ceremony was presided over by then SEF Chairman Chiang Pin-kung. On 31 March 2012, the finished constructed building was refurbished and SEF started to move there on 4 April 2012 from their old rented office building on Minsheng East Road. The new building was opened for service on 9 April 2012. On 18 May 2012, President Ma Ying-jeou presided over the building's official opening ceremony.
The SEF building is adjacent to Dazhi Station of the Taipei Metro on the Brown Line.