Taiwan's push to open a trade office in Perth has run into a wall of silence in Canberra, with senior Foreign Affairs officials refusing to tell a Senate Estimates hearing on Wednesday whether the request was ever received, let alone whether it has been turned down.
The plan has been a diplomatic flashpoint since earlier this year, when The Nightly reported that Taipei had put a proposal to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for a new office in Western Australia, and that China had lodged a formal protest against it.
What was said in Estimates
Liberal Senator Jess Collins pressed DFAT officials on 28 October 2026 about the status of the proposal. Michael Growder, DFAT's First Assistant Secretary for East Asia, would not confirm whether a formal application had been lodged, saying only that Australia would weigh any such request against the national interest.
He pointed to the existing arrangements under Australia's One China policy, telling the committee the unofficial relationship with Taiwan was best advanced through the Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices that already operate here.
When Senator Collins asked directly whether the Perth proposal had been rejected, DFAT Deputy Secretary Elly Lawson closed the topic down.
"Senator, we have no further comment to make on that topic." — Elly Lawson, DFAT Deputy Secretary, as reported by The West Australian
The ABC's foreign affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic, who was watching the hearing, noted the department's reluctance on X, describing "extreme sensitivity around this topic" and saying officials would not even confirm whether a request had arrived (post).
The West Australian has reported that the officials' answers indicate the request has been knocked back following China's objections. DFAT itself has not said so publicly.
How we got here
Australia does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Taipei is instead represented by a de facto embassy in Canberra, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, with branch offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. A Perth office would have been its first presence in Western Australia.
Beijing regards Taiwan as part of its territory and objects to anything that looks like official recognition. According to The Nightly, Chinese government sources confirmed that diplomats in Canberra formally protested to DFAT about the Perth proposal earlier this year. In July, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs hit back, saying China had no right to comment on Taiwan's dealings with other countries.
Last week Taiwan went further, publicly confirming for the first time that it wanted an office in WA. Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi told The Nightly in Taipei that Taiwan was looking to broaden its footprint in Australia and pointed to strong energy cooperation with Western Australia, while declining to reveal details.
Where WA stands
Premier Roger Cook has previously said he has been approached by China's Consul General in Perth on a number of occasions about the issue. He has stressed the value of WA's trade relationship with China while making clear the call belongs to Canberra.
"Ultimately, decisions in relation to these matters are decisions for the Federal Government." — Premier Roger Cook
Why it matters to Perth
China is by far Western Australia's biggest customer, buying the bulk of the state's iron ore, and Perth hosts one of China's busiest consulates in the country. Taiwan, for its part, is a significant buyer of WA gas and other resources, which is the energy link its deputy foreign minister highlighted.
That leaves WA caught between two important trading partners on a question it has no power to decide. For now, Taiwanese businesses, students and travellers in WA will keep dealing with Taipei's offices on the east coast, and the Federal Government is not saying whether that will ever change.
Photo: -wuppertaler via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0). File photo of the Perth CBD from Elizabeth Quay.
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