Chinese Consulate-General, Taihoku

The Consulate-General of the Republic of China in Taihoku was a diplomatic mission of the Republic of China in Taipei, Taiwan under the Japanese rule. Taihoku was name of Taipei based on Japanese pronunciation and thus the official term. The Consulate-General opened on April 6, 1931 and closed in 1945 as Taiwan became under administrated by the Republic of China.

Background

Even though Taiwan was a colony given to Japan by Qing Dynasty China, Taiwan still attracted many mainland Chinese immigrants after the concession. Despite the fact that the colonial government had implemented certain laws and measures to prevent mass immigration, the number of mainland people moving to Taiwan still grew a lot. At the time when the Republic of China government overthrown old imperial Qing regime in 1911, the number of newly immigrated Chinese has risen to ten thousand. As local Chinese ethnics have been transferred into Japanese nationals, the newcome mainland Chinese were considered foreign. However, despite the fact that some unions and societies have been established in order to protect their own social and economical interest, no official mission from China was instituted in Taiwan to assist their people.

Instituition

Eventually in 1929 the Executive Yuan of China agreed to institute a new mission in Taiwan. It was those Taiwanese lobbyists who put effort to make it possible, such people include Huang Chao-chin, who served in the Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission. On May 17, 1930, the Republic of China government appointed Lin Shao-nan to be the Consul-General and Yuan Chia-ta as Deputy Consuls-General. Two days later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that two missions will be deployed: one in Taihoku; the other in Tainan.

After more detailed negotiation with Japan, the mission eventually opened on April 6, 1931, in a building at Daitotei, rented from a local renowned family of Lin Pen Yuen. It moved to a personal residence at Miyamaechō(宮前町) under the donation from ocal celebrity Chang Yueh-cheng (張月澄).