Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it was common practice for host countries to pay for the expenses of visiting foreign lawmakers it invites, amid questions raised in Lithuania over whether the practice constitutes a conflict of interest, CNA reports.
“It is a regular practice that a host country pays for related expenses for a visiting foreign parliamentarian delegation. It [covering expanses] is common and widely practiced internationally,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou said on Tuesday.
Read more: Despite earlier misgivings, Lithuanian parliamentary delegation visits Taiwan
A delegation of Lithuanian parliamentarians is visiting Taiwan between January 9-14. Earlier, opposition MPs expressed misgivings about the Taiwanese government paying for the visit, saying it might give rise to a conflict of interest.
Ou said Taiwan sincerely welcomed the ongoing visit of a nine-person delegation from the Lithuanian parliament’s Committee on National Security and Defence and believed that it will enhance bilateral understanding and exchanges.
According to the foreign ministry, the Lithuanian delegation’s visit includes meetings with President Tsai Ing-wen, National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which handles matters related to China, representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defence.
A high-ranking parliamentary delegation from Berlin is visiting Taiwan at the same time. China on Monday slammed the visit, invoking Germany’s “painful” history, in an apparent reference to the country’s wartime record.
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