He was the first Taiwanese columnist for Newsweek magazine and also served as a consultant to the US Department of State, the RAND Corporation and other organizations.
"Most of his American connections were considered extremely conservative and belonged to the right wing," Arrigo said.
In 1992, Chang's popularity and connections in the US prompted the then DPP Chairman Hsu Hsin-liang (許
Elected to the Legislative Yuan for the first time in 1993, Chang has continued developing his political career in Taiwan, serving as chairman of the foreign relations committee and the national defense committee.
He was later appointed by Shih as director of the party's first Mission to the US in 1995, despite strong opposition within the party.
"Chang has the capability of knowing how America makes China policy, which was quite an asset to the party," former AIT chairman Nat Bellocchi said.
Shih also said that Chang's familiarity with American political circles won him the position, adding that as a legislator, Chang was the only one who could act as a facilitator between the party and the government's representative office in the US.
But a dispute over airfares to the US drew the glare of the DPP's central standing committee.
Money was not the only element adding to the controversy surrounding Chang. His alleged sexual offense was another.
Arrigo said last week that "Chang is a habitual sexual harasser." Former DPP official Hsieh Shu-yuan (謝淑媛) also said that she was aware that the late DPP director of women's development, Peng Wan-ru (彭婉如), had received complaints accusing Chang of sexual harassment."
Chang also dabbles in studying international military strategy and was said to have played an important role in the US' arm sales to Taiwan, as he also has close connections to the US' department of national defense.
"He is nicknamed Mr TMD [in Taiwan's military circles] since he strongly promotes [Taiwan's] military," said military commentator Chang Yu-hua (張
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