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Jules Vasquez, 7 News
"Let's be real Mr. Elrington, we are sweating fever for Taiwan, because they have to maintain their cultural and economic sway over Belize. That's the nature of our alliance. If it was a Taiwan troupe, well I know there is a Visa waiver, but if it was an Indian troupe from India, they wouldn't have paid - they are here for a few days. Goodwill."

Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"As far as I am aware Jules, what I heard stated by the Minister of Immigration, the substantive Minister - that there is no provision in our law for visa waiver - for the waiver of the visa fee. You see its a catch 22, you waive the visa fee and then they will want a senate inquiry to find out why you waive the visa fee, because you had no authority to do so in law."

Reporter
"The argument however is that the same was not afforded for the Indian Ballet group that was her last week - that they may have received a waiver in terms of the visa fees."

Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"I am not aware of it, but the information I got in the cabinet from the minister responsible for immigration is that there is no provision in our law to allow for that be done."

Reporter
"The chairman of the association says that the visa fees for other Chinese groups have been waived in the past. So why not waive it now?"

Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"Even if it were done, I am simply telling you what the Minister of Immigration is saying. You see whereas they may have thought that they had the latitude to do that, this present senate inquiry is now showing that look you can't do this. And let me tell you, the suggestion that the little bit of revenue that we generated from that activity is in some way going to hurt the Chinese community or China has to be ludicrous. China and the Chinese community have more money than they know what to do with. It's not a question that they don't have resources. They have. The Chinese community is perhaps the wealthiest community in Belize City, in Belize country. Why should they be complaining about something as basic as that and if you can't pay to come to the country, don't come. But don't want to come to the country and then griping over the fact that you are made to pay the legitimate taxes. It doesn't look good.

"To my mind it puts a sour taste in my mouth and I am very disappointed actually by those people who are spreading that kind of rumor."

Jules Vasquez, 7 News
"Contact or no contact. Did you have contact with the Taiwanese about this issue as foreign minister? Did they expressed any reservations about this?"

Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"Absolutely not a call from them. I can tell you in all honesty that I had no discussion with them."

The background, of course, is that the troupe is from mainland China which has major differences with its much smaller neighbor, Belize's ally, Taiwan.

Now, as to the claim that a troupe of dancers form India had gotten a waiver recently, well, turns out, that's not so. Today 7News received a copy of a correspondence which shows that the Indians did pay for their visas. The only difference is, the visa for an Indian national is 250 US dollars not one thousand US dollars like a Chinese national.