From the Financial Times (link)
Taiwan’s international isolation became all the more evident last week when the island’s president, on his way to Paraguay, scrapped a planned stop in Alaska.
Mr Chen Shui-bian opted instead for a stopover – later aborted – in Beirut, a detour via Abu Dhabi and refuelling in Amsterdam.
Analysts said Mr Chen’s odyssey also highlighted the risk that the president could become unpredictable during his last two years in office.
