Taiwan: A Scandal Threatens a President and Regional Stability

Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian is engaged in a political dogfight with far-reaching international implications. Details of a political scandal involving corruption and the employment of illegal Thai immigrants during the construction of a mass transit system in Kaohsiung continue to come to light, and a growing number of officials in Chen's administration are being implicated. Chen's political options are narrowing as opposition parties rally public dissent against the president. The Chen administration's political implosion could draw in neighboring nations, thus heightening tensions in an already tense region.