Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (abbreviated MOFA) 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.
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
MOFA is composed of the following departmental structures:
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
The Republic of China has diplomatic relations with 13 countries.
Oceania
North America
South America
Africa
Europe
Republic of China Representative Offices Abroad
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.
Foreign missions in the Republic of China
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
Access
The MOFA building is accessible by NTU Hospital Station of the Taipei Metro on the Red Line.
See also
List of foreign ministers of the Republic of China
Foreign relations of the Republic of China
References
External links
Official website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (TAIWAN)
1861 establishments in China
1912 establishments in China
Foreign Affairs
Taiwan
Foreign relations of Taiwan
Ministries established in 1861
Ministries established in 1912