AdvertisementAdvertisementEast AsiaTaiwan's Premier Cho Jung-tai (right), from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, attends a session at the parliament on May 31, 2024. Japan said on Mar 9, 2026, that the Taiwanese prime minister had no contact with government officials when he visited the country over the weekend. (Photo: AFP/Sam Yeh)09 Mar 2026 11:56AM Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInAdd CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.Read a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST TOKYO: Japan said on Monday (Mar 9) that Taiwan's Premier Cho Jung-tai had no contact with government officials during a weekend visit in which he watched a baseball game in Tokyo.Cho's trip was the first by a sitting Taiwanese premier since 1972, except for a typhoon-enforced stopover by Yu Shyi-kun in 2004, Japan's foreign ministry told AFP.The trip follows a sharp deterioration in Japan-China relations. Cho was reportedly accompanied by Taiwan's representative to Japan and the island's sports minister."There was no contact with Japanese government officials," Japanese government spokesman Minoru Kihara told reporters."We are aware of the reports, and as we are aware that the Taiwanese side is explaining it was a private one (visit), the government is not in a position to comment," Kihara said.Back in Taiwan, Cho said Sunday that it was a "holiday and a day off"."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. There was no other purpose, so there are no further comments," Cho said.The current spat with China was sparked by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting in November that Japan might intervene militarily in any Chinese attempt to take Taiwan.China regards the democratic island as part of its territory and has not ruled out force to annex it. Beijing was yet to comment on Cho's visit.Commentary: Japanese investment in China keeps rising despite political tensionsChina tightens Japanese trade restrictions as spat worsensSource: AFP/rlNewsletterWeek in ReviewSubscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in ReviewOur chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.NewsletterMorning BriefSubscribe to CNA’s Morning BriefAn automated curation of our top stories to start your day.Sign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST