French Office in Taipei

French Office in Taipei

Bureau français de Taipei 法國在台協會
Taipei 101 where the French Office in Taipei is located.
Agency overview
Formed	1981 (as French Trade Office) 1989 (as French Institute in Taipei)[1] 2011 (as French Office in Taipei)[2]
Jurisdiction	Republic of China
Headquarters	39F, Taipei 101, Xinyi, Taipei, Taiwan 25°2′1″N 121°33′54″E
Agency executive	Franck Paris, Director
Website	www.france-taipei.org

The French Office in Taipei (Chinese: 法國在台協會; pinyin: Fàguó Zài Tái Xiéhuì; French: Bureau français de Taipei, BFT) represents France's interests in Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic relations, functioning as a de facto embassy. Its counterpart in France is the Taipei Representative Office in France, based in Paris.

History

The Office was established in 1981 as the French Institute, before being renamed the French Office in Taipei. It adopted its present name in 2011, although its Chinese language name has remained unchanged.^[2] On 23 February 2021, the new office of the French Office in Taipei re-opened after its relocation to 39th floor, Taipei 101.^[3]

List of directors

Name	Photo	Tenure
Marc Menguy		1989-1993
Jean-Paul Réau		1993-1997
Gérard Roland Chesnel		1997-2000
Élisabeth Laurin		2000-2005
Jean-Claude Poimboeuf		2005-2008
Patrick Bonneville		2008-2010
Olivier Richard		2011-2015
Benoît Guidée		2015–2019
Jean-François Casabonne-Masonnave		2019-2023
Franck Paris		since 2023

References

1. Pretence of Privatisation: Taiwan's External Relations, Françoise Mengin, in Privatising the State, Béatrice Hibou, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 2004, pages 157–158
2. De facto embassies in Taipei folding the flag, Asia Times, 14 June 2011
3. "Fermeture du BFT du 18 au 22 février" [Closure of the French Office in Taipei from February 18 to 22]. French Office in Taipei. 2021-02-16. Archived from the original on 2021-04-15.

External links

• Official website (in French)