It was all smiles and pleasantries at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 27 at Taiwan’s new diplomatic office in San Francisco. Local politicians congratulated Taiwanese diplomats, toasting with soft drinks beside giant fruit cakes and an array of sushi rolls.
However, the event’s main purpose was not to celebrate but to send a political message.
“This symbolizes the deep-rooted relationship between Taiwan and the United States, not just for saving on rent,” Alexander Tah-ray Yui, Taiwan’s representative to the U.S., told a group of reporters in Chinese. “We want to stay here for a long, long time.”
But if the $53 million purchase of the seven-story building on Fourth Street in SoMa was meant to represent a deep bond between San Francisco — the U.S. city with the highest proportion of Chinese American residents — and Taipei, the diplomats have tough work ahead.
San Francisco’s Chinese community over recent years has largely shifted its allegiance from Taipei, the capital of the self-governing island claimed by China as a territory, to Beijing. London Breed was the latest in a string of mayors to prioritize forging high-level connections in China instead of Taiwan. President Donald Trump, who rose in national politics as a China hawk, has more recently refused to say whether the U.S. would help protect Taiwan from invasion.
Taiwanese officials were looking forward to the inauguration of Mayor Daniel Lurie as a chance to reverse that trend and regain influence in City Hall, if not in Washington, D.C. The symbolism on display at the ribbon-cutting was apt: While City Attorney David Chiu and Supervisors Connie Chan and Joel Engardio were on hand to pay their respects, Lurie was a no-show.
What’s our new mayor up to?
Get the inside scoop on City Hall and local politics in our twice weekly Power Play newsletter.
SF mayors cozy up to Beijing
Dating back to Dianne Feinstein, San Francisco mayors have prioritized relationships with Beijing. Willie Brown is known to have had an amicable relationship with China. Gavin Newsom, former San Francisco mayor and now governor of California, met with President Xi Jinping in China in 2023. Ed Lee, San Francisco’s first Chinese American mayor, maintained strong ties with China. Breed spent a week in the country last year, appealing to top officials for pandas for the San Francisco Zoo.
Representatives of Taiwan haven’t seen the same level of attentiveness. “Breed was rather resistant toward us,” said Scott Lai, Taiwan’s top diplomat in San Francisco. Taiwan’s diplomatic situation in the city has “room for improvement,” he added.
Lurie’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment, but early appearances suggest he’s following in his predecessor’s footsteps: The mayor attended the Chinese Consulate’s new year’s celebration in January and expressed interest in visiting the country in a letter to the mayor of Guangzhou.
The City Hall stance mirrors a shift in the local Chinese community, as China’s global influence grows and mainland immigrants increasingly outnumber those from other Chinese-speaking regions.
According to David Ho, a Chinese American political consultant, members of the Chinatown community gradually moved in the late 20th century toward supporting Beijing and the Chinese Communist Party, instead of the pro-Taiwan Kuomintang Party. In Chinatown, five of the seven prominent family associations have shifted to align with Beijing over the years, leaving two that support Taiwan.
“San Francisco is always considered a geopolitical center of U.S.-China relations right outside Washington, D.C.,” Ho pointed out.
‘We don’t want security issues to become a stain’
Taiwan’s delicate relationship with San Francisco is also reflected in more quotidian concerns: homelessness and street conditions around the new building, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, or TECO.
In the three months since the office opened, the diplomats who work there have had to contend with homelessness, drug use on nearby streets, and car break-ins.
In buying the building — a major upgrade from its prior rental in the Financial District — the Taiwanese contingent showed a determination to improve ties with the U.S. and a belief in San Francisco’s potential.
The incidents have been covered extensively in Chinese-language media in the U.S. and internationally. TECO representatives say the office spends tens of thousands of dollars monthly on security measures.
“These should not have happened at a diplomatic mission,” said Lai. “The Taiwanese government spent so much money buying this building because we have confidence in San Francisco’s future development. We don’t want security issues to become a stain.”
Lai provided photos of recent incidents at TECO. At the back door, people who appeared to be using drugs burned Chinese newspapers that were delivered to the office. Homeless people slept at the entrance overnight and left a mattress, which staffers had to remove. Staffers have also expressed concern about high-profile Tesla burning incidents nearby.
San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Mason Lee confirmed two incidents reported from the TECO address during the last three months and promised to provide more assistance.
“SFPD has strengthened visibility by increasing patrols in the area, monitoring crime in the area, and maintaining regular communications with TECO representatives,” Lee said in a statement.
Lai said he understands that every neighborhood in San Francisco faces such challenges. The office expressed concerns by sending a letter to Lurie thanking him for his attention to public safety issues and alerting him to recent security incidents.
“We are looking to the new mayor to bring changes,” Lai said. “This is our great expectation.”