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Taiwan–Venezuela relations have almost been nonexistent since Venezuela recognized the People's Republic of China in 1974, although unofficial relations were preserved through a Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Caracas until it was closed in 2009. In the 2000s, increasing partnership between the government of the Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez and the People's Republic of China has led to a more overt rejection of the Taiwan's legitimacy by Venezuela.
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History
Relations between Taiwan and Venezuela began on August 1944 when an office belonging to the Republic of China was established in Caracas. On September 1949, José Manuel Ferrer who was in charge of the Venezuelan office in China moved with the government of the ROC to Taipei when Chiang Kai-shek lost the control of mainland China.
José Gil Borges was appointed to the position of ambassador of Venezuela in Taiwan on February 1966. On 1 July 1966 the previous ROC office in Caracas was promoted to the category of embassy.
Venezuela broke diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of the People's Republic of China on 28 June 1974. An unofficial missions in Caracas, known as the Oficina Comercial de Taiwan was established to replace the former embassy. This was later renamed the Oficina Económica y Cultural de Taipei. Since the closure of the Office in 2009, the Oficina Comercial de Taipei in Bogota, Colombia, has had responsibility for Venezuela.
Visa renewal
On March 2007, Venezuela repealed a 90-day visa exemption for Taiwan passport holders. Since then visas for Taiwan citizens have been required.
In June the Venezuelan government decided not to renew visas for five members of Taiwan commercial representation in Caracas.
In July the spokesman for the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Chien-yeh, said Taiwan held conversations with the Venezuelan government to reach an agreement in order to avoid the closure of the Taiwanese commercial representation.
In the case of a shutting down of Taiwanese office those Venezuelans who want to travel to Taiwan have to ask for visas in other countries such as Colombia or Panama and people from Taiwan who want to visit Venezuela have to ask a visa in other countries such as the Venezuelan consulate in Hong Kong.
CPC Corporation, Taiwan
In 2007 Venezuela nationalized all foreign-owned oil fields and took over oil fields belonging to companies which refused to sign agreements of a joint venture with PDVSA.
In July of that year the Taiwan state-run oil firm Chinese Petroleum Corporation (CPC) said the government of Venezuela had asked the firm to give up the 7.5 percent shares CPC holds on two oil fields the firm has in the South American country. The president of the CPC, Chen Pao-lang, said CPC will hold contacts with the Venezuelan government in order to defend their oil exploration rights on the two oil fields. Besides Chen said if no progress is made, CPC does not rule out a possible international arbitration.
Trade
In 2005 Venezuela was the eighth most important largest trading partner in Latin America for Taiwan. Taiwan exports to Venezuela parts and accessories of the motor vehicles of headings, baler machinery, electrical machinery and equipment and parts, sound recorders, television imagers, reproducers, vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, plastics and plastics articles, rubber and rubber articles, man-made filaments, iron and steel, cotton, furniture, optical instruments and toys.
In return, Venezuela exports to Taiwan organic chemicals, raw hides and skins, aluminum and aluminum articles, iron and steel, plastics and plastic articles, copper and copper articles, inorganic chemicals, optical instrument, rubber and articles.
Migration
In 2007 around 400 people from Taiwan lived in Venezuela. Many of them were owners of companies that manufacture plastics, ceramics, textiles, glass, and marketing finished products.
At the end of July 2007 more than 100 pilots, a baseball player and a student from Venezuela were living in Taiwan. The pilots have been working in Taiwan after the bankruptcy of some Venezuelan airlines such as Viasa and Avensa.