TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwanese government is slated to open a new five-story consular building in Los Angeles next year, which will replace the rented office space it has been using for three decades, FTV reported.
Taiwan currently pays several millions of dollars in rent for its Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Los Angeles, which is expected to increase in the years to come. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) bought the building in 2019 for NT$1 billion (US$32.7 million).
The move was originally to take place in 2021 but was delayed due to the COVID pandemic.
The new building, located at 4401 Wilshire Boulevard, features a roof garden, see-through office spaces, and a staff restaurant. It is also the first green building in the U.S. to house a consular representative office.
The TECO L.A. office is headed by Director General Amino C.Y. Chi (紀欽耀).
MOFA first moved its New York office from a rental space to a purchased property in 2003, after buying space in Manhattan for NT$1.7 billion. The property is 16 stories tall and has about 100 staffers.
