00:00Beijing doesn't have a team playing in this year's World Baseball Classic, but that hasn't
00:03stopped it from watching events in Tokyo closely.
00:06Premier Chou Zhongtai's visit over the weekend to support Team Taiwan has become the latest
00:10rift in spiraling relations between Japan and China.
00:13When asked about the visit, Taiwan's foreign ministry sidestepped the issue.
00:17The foreign minister also believes that today has continued to continue to expand
00:21the cooperation of the international community.
00:25Tokyo officials clarified that Chou had no contact with government officials during his
00:29time there.
00:32We are aware of the reports.
00:34However, we understand that the Taiwanese side has explained that it was a private visit,
00:39and therefore the government is not in a position to comment.
00:42All this comes while Beijing-Tokyo relations are at a low point.
00:45Japanese Prime Minister Takechi Senai said last November that there was a possibility for
00:49her country's involvement in a potential Taiwan-Straight conflict, sparking Beijing's ire.
00:54Now China's foreign ministry is slamming Chou's trip as a provocation and said Japan would
00:59have to pay a price for its actions.
01:01You mentioned this person is a ghost girl.
01:04He's a ghost girl.
01:05He's a ghost girl.
01:06He's a ghost girl and a ghost girl.
01:06He's a ghost girl.
01:07He's a ghost girl and he's a ghost girl.
01:10In Taiwan, opposition lawmakers grilled Chou this morning, demanding that he show receipts
01:15to prove no misuse of public funds.
01:17Cho said he would explain further and asked people to not blindly follow China's reaction.
01:22This trip highlights the challenges of Taiwan's diplomatic status and how it impacts any
01:25official's overseas trips.
01:27Officials sometimes use cultural events and sports and the arts to visit friendly nations
01:31and sidestep questions about diplomatic recognition or China's complaints.
01:35After most countries cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a lot of them would put in self-imposed
01:43limitations on meeting with or allowing travel by Taiwanese officials.
01:49There seems to be an opening up among certain regional powers to allowing private visits
01:56by Taiwanese officials.
01:58So this seems to be that they're ending their, I won't say ending their self-imposed restrictions,
02:05but they're definitely signs of loosening.
02:08But does a baseball game really amount to a provocation?
02:11It's really hard to say that watching a baseball game is a threat to any kind of national security
02:18of China or a move towards secessionism.
02:22So while Team Taiwan has already been eliminated from the tournament, the consequences of Premier
02:26Cho's visit are likely to linger for a while longer.
02:29Andy Shueh and Larry Siano for Taiwan+.
Comments