A weekend appearance by Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai at Tokyo Dome, where he cheered on his island¡¯s team at the World Baseball Classic, has created a geopolitical storm.
But the real significance of this match lies beyond the stadium. It¡¯s a signal that Tokyo and Taipei are testing how much Beijing can practically control their engagement.
Cho¡¯s presence was notable: He is the first sitting Taiwanese premier to visit Japan since 1972 when Tokyo severed diplomatic ties with Taipei and recognized the People¡¯s Republic of China as the sole legal government.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.