Three quit over scandal

Three senior officials in Taiwan resigned yesterday over the disappearance of $30 million in a botched "diplomatic" incident.

The missing money, allocated in 2006, was meant as development aid that would lure Papua New Guinea into establishing ties with Taiwan. "Foreign minister" James Huang, "Vice-premier" Chiou I-jen and "Vice-defense minister" Ko Cheng-heng said they had offered their resignations to take blame for the scandal two weeks before "president" Chen Shui-bian's entire administration steps down at the end of its term.

(China Daily 05/07/2008 page5)