de-facto embassy; liaison office
Refers to an office that functions as a diplomatic mission in the absence of formal embassy relations, often used for Taiwan's representative offices in countries without official ties. Compare with 連絡事務所, which is a more general liaison office.
See also: 連絡事務所
Taiwan has established a de-facto embassy in Japan.
Since there is no embassy in that country, the liaison office handles consular affairs.
連絡事務所 is a general liaison office, while 連絡事務局 specifically refers to a de-facto embassy or representative office used in the absence of formal diplomatic relations.
Compound of 連絡 (liaison) + 事務局 (secretariat, office). The specific meaning 'de-facto embassy' arises from its use in contexts where formal diplomatic relations are absent.