| Straits Exchange Foundation 海峽交流基金會 | |
| Size: | 250px |
| Formation: | 21 November 1990 (first meeting) 9 March 1991 (start operation)[1] |
| Headquarters: | Zhongshan, Taipei, Taiwan |
| Leader Title: | Chairperson |
| Leader Name: | (acting) |
The Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF; ; often abbreviated as 海基會) is a semiofficial organization set up by the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to handle civil and business matters with the People's Republic of China (PRC). Though technically a private organization, it is funded by the government and under the supervision of the Mainland Affairs Council of the Executive Yuan. Its role is effectively to function as the de facto embassy to the PRC, as a means of avoiding acknowledgement of the PRC's statehood status.
Its counterpart in the PRC is the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS).
Business and civil activities across Taiwan Strait resumed when the armed conflict between the two side ceased after the end of the Cold War. Due to the complexity of the political and legal status of cross-strait relations and lack of contact between the two opposing governments during the conflict, the ROC government had to create an intermediary body from the private sector to deal with cross-strait matters. Thus on 9 March 1991, the SEF was formally established with the help of the 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 they had been virtually non-existent for almost 50 years since the establishment of PRC.[2]
| No. | Name | Term of Office | Days | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Koo Chen-fu | 21 November 1990 | 3 January 2005 | |
| — | Johnnason Liu[4] | 3 January 2005 | 10 June 2005 | |
| 2 | Chang Chun-hsiung | 10 June 2005 | 21 May 2007 | |
| 3 | Hung Chi-chang | 12 July 2007 | 19 May 2008 | |
| 4 | Chiang Pin-kung | 26 May 2008 | 27 September 2012 | |
| 5 | Lin Join-sane | 27 September 2012 | 20 May 2016 | |
| — | Chen Ter-shing | 20 May 2016 | 12 September 2016 | |
| 6 | Tien Hung-mao | 12 September 2016 | 27 March 2018 | |
| 7 | Katharine Chang | 27 March 2018 | 5 June 2020 | |
| 8 | David Lee | 5 June 2020 | 3 August 2020 | |
| — | 28 August 2020 | 13 February 2023 | ||
| 8 | David Lee | 14 February 2023 | 7 June 2024 | |
| 9 | Cheng Wen-tsan | 7 June 2024 | 7 July 2024 | |
| — | Rock Hsu | 18 July 2024 | 3 November 2024 | |
| 10 | Frank Wu | 4 November 2024 | Incumbent | |
On 11 April 2013, the Executive Yuan approved a bill to open SEF branch offices in Mainland China. In the initial announcement, three offices were planned.[5]
The current SEF building in Beian Road originated since its groundbreaking construction on 25 September 2010 when its ceremony was presided over 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 over the building's official opening ceremony.[1]
The SEF building is adjacent to Dazhi Station of the Taipei Metro on the Brown Line.