Taiwan's foreign ministry is cutting most of the money for its flagship "prosperous partners" diplomacy program next year, a setback in optics for Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung even as the ministry insists the effort is not shrinking.

• The line item for using Taiwan's strongest industries to build ties with partner countries drops from about NT$370 million this year to under NT$80 million next year.
• The ministry says the first year cost more because it was building the program from scratch, and running costs are lower once the machinery is in place.
• This year's overall budget was approved late, so some projects are still stuck in the talking stage and their unspent money simply carries over into next year.
• Much bigger sums remain untouched elsewhere: billions of Taiwan dollars for infrastructure and training projects with Pacific and Latin American allies, plus scholarships for students from friendly countries.

Outlook: Lawmakers reviewing the budget are likely to press the ministry on whether the cut signals a quiet retreat from Lin's signature diplomatic push.