Taiwan's parliament has cut off funding for overseas trips by its cross-party friendship groups, a direct hit to lawmakers who use those trips to build ties with countries like the United States.

• The legislature told all offices it will stop taking applications for foreign trip funding, effective immediately.
• The money ran out after a budget vote slashed overseas travel spending across government by 30%.
• The same vote cut about NT$48 billion from the central government's total spending plan for the year.
• Most agencies took the 30% cut, with a few losing 70% and the Academia Sinica and audit office spared.
• One casualty is the Taiwan-US legislative friendship group, co-chaired by lawmakers from both the ruling DPP and the opposition KMT.

Outlook: Parliamentary delegations abroad look frozen for the rest of the budget year unless lawmakers find another funding route or restore the money in the next budget.