Straits Exchange Foundation

The Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF; Template:Zh; often abbreviated as Template:Lang) 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

List of chairpersons

No.	Name	Term of Office		Days
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 1	Koo Chen-fu Template:Lang	21 November 1990	3 January 2005Template:NoteTag	Template:Age in daysTemplate:NoteTag
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | —	Johnnason Liu<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Lang	3 January 2005	10 June 2005	Template:Age in days
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 2	Chang Chun-hsiung Template:Lang	10 June 2005	21 May 2007	Template:Age in days
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 3	Hung Chi-chang Template:Lang	12 July 2007	19 May 2008	Template:Age in days
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 4	Chiang Pin-kung Template:Lang	26 May 2008	27 September 2012	Template:Age in days
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 5	Lin Join-sane Template:Lang	27 September 2012	20 May 2016	Template:Age in days
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | —	Chen Ter-shing Template:Lang	20 May 2016	12 September 2016	Template:Age in days
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 6	Tien Hung-mao Template:Lang	12 September 2016	27 March 2018	Template:Age in days
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 7	Katharine Chang Template:Lang	27 March 2018	5 June 2020	Template:Age in days
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 8	David Lee Template:Lang	5 June 2020	3 August 2020	Template:Age in days
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | —	Template:Ill Template:Lang	28 August 2020	13 February 2023	Template:Age in days
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 8	David Lee Template:Lang	14 February 2023	7 June 2024	Template:Age in days
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 9	Cheng Wen-tsan Template:Lang	7 June 2024	7 July 2024	Template:Age in days
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | —	Rock Hsu Template:Lang	18 July 2024	3 November 2024	Template:Age in days
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 10	Frank Wu Template:Lang	4 November 2024	Incumbent	Template:Age in days

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name="sef.org.tw"/>

The SEF building is adjacent to Dazhi Station of the Taipei Metro on the Brown Line.

See also

• Cross-strait relations

External links

• Template:Official website