Bulgaria–Taiwan relations

Bulgaria–Taiwan relations refer to the relations between Bulgaria (formally the Republic of Bulgaria) and Taiwan (formally the Republic of China).

Bulgarian–Taiwanese relations

Bulgaria	Taiwan

Bulgaria and the Republic of China established diplomatic relations in 1941 during World War II, but these were severed in 1949 following the ROC government's retreat to Taiwan and the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

In 1949, Bulgaria became one of the first countries to recognize the PRC, and since then, relations between Bulgaria and Taiwan have been conducted on a non-diplomatic level through representative offices that function as de facto embassies.

Although they do not maintain formal diplomatic ties, Bulgaria and Taiwan have developed cooperative links in economics, trade, culture, and education, and share values such as democracy, freedom, and human rights.

History

Following the end of World War II, Bulgaria recognized the People's Republic of China in October 1949, becoming the second country in the world to do so after the Soviet Union.

Bulgaria supported the PRC's accession to the United Nations in 1971, voting in favor of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI), which transferred China's UN seat from Taipei to Beijing.^[1]

In the decades that followed, relations between Bulgaria and Taiwan were limited, but non-official exchanges gradually grew, particularly in the post-Cold War era. Since the 1990s, Taiwan has sought to expand economic and cultural exchanges with Bulgaria as part of its broader engagement with Central and Eastern Europe.^[2]

Representative offices

Taiwanese interests in Bulgaria are handled by the Taipei Representative Office in Hungary, which has concurrent accreditation to Bulgaria.^[3]

Economic relations

Bilateral trade between Bulgaria and Taiwan has grown steadily in the 21st century. Taiwan's main exports to Bulgaria include electronic components, machinery, and ICT products, while Bulgaria exports agricultural products, wines, rose oil, and machinery to Taiwan.^[4]

Both sides have promoted investment cooperation, particularly in high technology, renewable energy, and agricultural processing sectors.^[5]

Cultural and educational exchanges

Taiwan and Bulgaria have expanded academic ties since the 2000s. Several Bulgarian universities, including Sofia University and the University of National and World Economy, have established exchange programs with Taiwanese institutions such as National Chengchi University.^[6]

See also

• Foreign relations of Taiwan
• Foreign relations of Bulgaria
• List of diplomatic missions of Taiwan
• Taiwan–European Union relations