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Asia Sentinel
Taiwan’s Two Steps Forward, One Back Democracy

Taiwan’s Two Steps Forward, One Back Democracy

Our Correspondent
Nov 24, 2006
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Asia Sentinel
Asia Sentinel
Taiwan’s Two Steps Forward, One Back Democracy
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In a Taipei convenience store, five female students are buying crisps and Coca-Cola. Who is paying, one asks. Giggling, three reply with one voice: “special state funds, of course”. The joke is tinged with irritation that their president, Chen Shui-bian, could be spending government money to buy his wife French jeweler and Burberry handbags.

The case was…

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