Taiwan's Legislative Yuan cuts foreign travel funds, halting parliamentary diplomacy trips

The Legislative Yuan in Taiwan has announced a halt to funding for its "Congressional Friendship Associations" for overseas trips, following a decision to cut foreign travel expenses by 30% for the upcoming fiscal year. The move signals a significant shift in the funding of parliamentary diplomacy.

Legislative Yuan Secretary-General Chou Wan-lai issued a letter on August 21st to all legislators, stating that after the 30% reduction in the "foreign travel expenses" budget and accounting for already spent and allocated funds, the remaining amount is insufficient to support delegations organized by the "Congressional Friendship Associations."

This decision stems from the Legislative Yuan's passage of the central government's budget for fiscal year 2025. The budget included a general cut of 30% for "foreign travel and overseas training expenses" across most central government agencies. While some exceptions exist, such as for the Academia Sinica and the Control Yuan, the majority of agencies face this reduction.

According to the regulations governing these friendship associations, funding must be within the allocated annual budget. With the recent cuts, the Yuan's foreign travel budget can no longer cover the expenses for these diplomatic delegations, leading to the immediate suspension of subsidy applications.