Taiwan Representative Office Act (Not yet reintroduced in 119th Congress)
The current name of Taiwan’s de facto embassy in the U.S., the “Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office” (TECRO), presents several issues.
First, the name is misleading, as the inclusion of “Taipei” implies that the office represents only Taiwan’s capital rather than the entire nation and its people. As a result, the name TECRO fails to adequately reflect Taiwan’s national identity and sovereign dignity.
Second, labeling the office as an “economic and cultural” representative office understates the depth and breadth of U.S.-Taiwan relations. Their partnership extends beyond these areas to include defense, science, technology, public health, energy, and environmental cooperation, among others.
Third, the name TECRO is inconsistent with the longstanding U.S. policy of referring to Taiwan simply as “Taiwan.” This policy is evident by the names of the Taiwan Relations Act, the Taiwan Travel Act, the American Institute in Taiwan, etc.
The “Taiwan Representative Office Act” seeks to rename TECRO to the “Taiwan Representative Office” (TRO). We urge members of the House and Senate to support this bill when it is reintroduced in the 119th Congress.