Sydney:Taipei Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has acquired a property in Sydney to establish its representative office, while the construction of an embassy in Belize has been postponed due to increased construction costs.

According to Focus Taiwan, Chen Jin-ling, the director-general of MOFA's Department of General Affairs, announced during a weekly news briefing that the ministry finalized the purchase of the Sydney property in April, with ownership officially transferred to the government in October. The ministry is currently searching for a contractor to renovate the property, with plans to relocate the office by the end of 2027. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Sydney is presently situated in rented space at 25 Martin Place.

Chen also revealed plans for constructing Taiwan's embassy in Belize, initially budgeted at NT$123 million (approximately US$3.76 million) and approved by the Cabinet in 2025. However, MOFA was informed by the Belize embassy of the need for additional funding due to rising construction costs linked to conflicts in the Middle East. The ministry is awaiting a revised budget from the embassy to submit for Cabinet approval. Presently, the Belize embassy operates from a rented property at No. 1, Taiwan Street, Belize City.

Since 2002, MOFA has been investing in property acquisitions for its overseas offices to reduce rental costs, with recent purchases in Italy and the U.S. cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Currently, 19 out of 111 overseas offices are situated in government-owned properties.