MOFA buys Sydney property for new office, suspends Belize embassy work

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has recently purchased a property to house its representative office in Sydney, while plans to build its own embassy in the Central American ally of Belize have been put on hold due to rising construction costs, a diplomat overseeing overseas property purchases and leases said yesterday.

Chen Jin-ling (陳錦玲), director-general of MOFA’s Department of General Affairs, said at a weekly news briefing that the ministry signed a deal to purchase a property in Sydney in April.

Ownership of the property was officially transferred to the government in October, Chen said, adding that MOFA is currently seeking a contractor to renovate the property.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo is pictured in Taipei in an undated photograph.

Photo: Taipei Times

The renovation could take several months, and the office is expected to move to the new location before the end of 2027, she said.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Sydney, Taiwan’s representative office in the Australian city, is currently located in rented office space on the 19th floor of 25 Martin Place.

At the press event, Chen also said Taiwan plans to build its own embassy compound in Belize.

The project, originally estimated to cost NT$123 million (US$3.76 million) and take 25 months to complete, was approved by the Cabinet in 2025, Chen said.

However, the Taiwanese embassy in Belize informed MOFA earlier this year that additional funding would be needed for the project, citing soaring construction costs due to conflicts in the Middle East, Chen said.

MOFA is now awaiting a revised budget proposal from the embassy before submitting it to the Cabinet for approval, she added.

The embassy compound is currently located at No. 1, Taiwan Street, Belize City in a rented property.

MOFA currently operates 111 overseas offices, 19 of which are housed in government-owned properties.

Since 2002, the ministry has sought to purchase properties for its overseas offices to reduce rental costs. In recent years, it has acquired properties in Italy and the U.S. cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco.