A leading presidential candidate and former member of the ruling Nationalist party in Taiwan, James Soong, has been defending his actions after it emerged that money belonging to the party was deposited into his son's bank account in 1992.

Mr Soong said the funds were given to him to provide for the family of the late nationalist leader, Chiang Kai-shek.

He said the order had come from President Lee Teng-hui himself - an explanation strongly denied by the president's office.

Mr Soong was expelled from the Nationalist party last month after launching his presidential campaign against the wishes of the party leadership.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service