For some reason, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Guo Jiakun, is upset about ROC Premier Cho Jung-tai’s recent visit to Japan, which Cho said was private and undertaken to enjoy a Taiwan baseball team playing there (Reuters, March 9, 2026).
Cho flew to Japan on Saturday to watch Taiwan play in the World Baseball Classic, in what Taiwanese media said was the first trip to the country by a premier since Japan and Taiwan broke formal diplomatic ties in 1972.
China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, routinely lambastes any overseas trips by its leaders, but used especially strong language to target Cho.
“The person you mentioned harbored evil designs; acting stealthily and sneakily, he ran to Japan to engage in little tricks of seeking independence and making provocations,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun [shown above throwing a pitch] told reporters in Beijing.
“Japan’s indulgence of provocation and unbridled recklessness will certainly pay a price, and all consequences arising from this must be borne by the Japanese side.”
Mon Dieu, can’t somebody enjoy a little baseball without things getting all political! Lighten up, thug-totalitarians. You’re going to get an ulcer that way.
