The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) was established pursuant to the Taiwan Relations Act (PL. 96-8), for the purpose of promoting and strengthening the economic, cultural, educational and other related ties between the United States and the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. TECO represents the ROC's interests in the United States and currently has thirteen offices nationwide, including a representative office in Washington, D.C.
The Los Angeles office handles a variety of matters, covering Southern California ( Los Angeles County, San Diego County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Kern County, Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County and Imperial County), Arizona and New Mexico. It is one of the busiest offices due to the geographical location of the city of Los Angeles as a gateway to the Pacific, and services the largest Chinese-American community in the country.
TECO in Los Angeles is comprised of six divisions:
- The ECONOMIC DIVISION promotes the bilateral trade and investment between the United States and the ROC;
- The EDUCATION DIVISION promotes educational exchanges;
- The PRESS DIVISION provides up-to-date information about the ROC to the mass media and other journalism-related services;
- The SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY DIVISION promotes technological and scientific exchange and cooperation;
- The TRAVEL DIVISION provides consular and other travel-related services;
- The CULTURAL DIVISION (TAIWAN ACADEMY) promotes Taiwanese culture, as well as cultural exchanges.
In addition to these 6 divisions, TECO in Los Angeles oversees two Cultural Centers located in the heart of the Chinese-American community. These two centers provide a venue for a diverse range of multi-cultural events including art exhibitions, musical concerts, dance programs, educational lectures, and ongoing classes in traditional Chinese arts.
