Headquarters Zhongshan, Taipei Chairman Tien Hung-mao Website www.sef.org.tw | Location Taiwan Vice Chairman and Secretary-General Vacant | |
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Formation 21 November 1990 (first meeting)
9 March 1991 (start operation) | ||
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 semi-official organization set up by the Government of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan to handle technical or business matters with the People's Republic of China (PRC). Though technically a private organization, it is funded by the government and controlled by the Mainland Affairs Council of the Executive Yuan. Its roles are in effect, the de facto embassy to PR China, to not officially acknowledge PRC's statehood status.
Contents
- History
- Organization structure
- SEF branch office in Mainland China
- SEF building
- Transportation
- References
Its counterpart in the PRC is the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS).
History
Due to the complexity of political and legal status of cross-strait relations and lack of contact between the two sides, the ROC government had to create an intermediary body from the private sector to deal with all cross-strait matters. Thus on 9 March 1991, SEF was formally established with the help of 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 it had been idle for almost 50 years after the end of Chinese civil war in 1949.
Organization structure
SEF branch office in Mainland China
On 11 April 2013, the Executive Yuan approved a bill to open SEF branch offices in Mainland China. That month, ROC President Ma Ying-jeou said that SEF offices in Mainland China will not fly ROC flags, either inside or outside the office buildings, because Taiwan and Mainland China are not foreign nations to each other. 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 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 the building's official opening ceremony.
Transportation
The SEF building is accessible by Dazhi Station of the Taipei Metro on the Brown Line.