Taiwan has turned down an opportunity to join an exhibition as a “theme country” in a renowned European comic convention, prompting criticism from opposition lawmakers yesterday over the government’s commitment to participating in international activities.

The organizers of the Angouleme International Comics Festival, the largest of its kind in Europe, had invited Taiwan to take part in the convention next year as a theme country, but the Taiwanese government rejected the invitation.

Government Information Office (GIO) Minister Philip Yang (楊永明) defended the decision at a press conference, saying “it was simply due to limited budget resources and manpower,” making it difficult for the government to prepare for the event in such a short period.