Liz Truss, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, received $101,600 during her visit to Taiwan, which lasted only four hours this year, SCMP reports.
The payment was made by the Prospect Foundation, a Taiwanese think tank, as stated in the UK parliamentary register of members' financial interests. Truss gave a speech in Taipei in May, criticizing China and Europe for their lack of support towards Taiwan, a self-governed island claimed by Beijing as part of its territory.
During her visit to the United States in April, where she spoke at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington, Truss was only reimbursed for her expenses, totaling approximately $9,600, according to the register. In contrast, former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly received $150,000 from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office for a trip to Taiwan in early 2022. Pompeo and Truss were invited by the same think tank, which was sanctioned by China earlier this year.
Truss's tenure as Prime Minister ended abruptly after a 49-day run, causing turmoil in the UK's financial markets. Her successor, Rishi Sunak, has since aimed to improve relations with China, the world's second-largest economy. Furthermore, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is reportedly considering a visit to Beijing later this month, according to Bloomberg.
Despite China's opposition and angry reaction to foreign delegations visiting Taiwan, Taiwan's ruling party continues to welcome such visits. China perceives any official contact with the government in Taipei as implicit recognition of Taiwan as an independent nation, which is one of Beijing's diplomatic red lines.
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