TOKYO: The Japanese government on Monday clarified that Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai did not meet or hold any contact with Japanese government officials during his recent weekend visit to Tokyo, describing the trip as a private engagement.
Cho, who traveled to Japan to watch a baseball game, made what is believed to be the first visit to the country by a sitting Taiwanese premier since 1972. The only comparable instance in recent decades occurred in 2004 when former premier Yu Shyi-kun made an emergency stopover in Japan due to a typhoon.
According to Japan’s foreign ministry, Cho attended the event accompanied by Taiwan’s representative to Japan and the island’s sports minister. However, Japanese authorities stressed that the visit did not involve any official diplomatic interactions.
“There was no contact with Japanese government officials,” Japanese government spokesman Minoru Kihara told reporters. He added that since Taiwanese authorities described the visit as private, Tokyo would refrain from making further comments, according to AFP.
Back in Taiwan, Cho also maintained that the trip was personal and unrelated to official matters. “The trip was self-funded and it was a private activity. The only arrangement was to cheer for Team Taiwan together with our fellow citizens,” Cho said. “There was no other purpose, so there are no further comments.”
The visit comes at a time when tensions between Japan and China have intensified. Relations became strained after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Japan could potentially intervene militarily if China attempted to take control of Taiwan.
China regards Taiwan part of its territory and has repeatedly stated it does not rule out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Beijing had not issued any official comment on Cho’s Tokyo visit at the time of reporting.
