Taiwan is facing a quiet backlash from Japanese officials over how it handled a recent visit to Tokyo by Premier Cho Jung-tai

Taiwan is facing a quiet backlash from Japanese officials over how it handled a recent visit to Tokyo by Premier Cho Jung-tai, sources said, illustrating the unique quandaries Taipei faces in conducting diplomacy.

Cho made an ostensibly low-key, personal trip to Tokyo for the World Baseball Classic game between Taiwan and the Czech Republic on March 7. The visit marked the first time a sitting head of Taiwan’s government had visited Japan since diplomatic ties were cut in 1972.

But while the trip was widely seen as a sign of tightening ties between Taipei and Tokyo, multiple sources briefed on the matter said that Japanese officials were displeased by the publicity Cho’s move generated. The visit was supposed to be under the radar, yet quickly made news in Taiwan, leading some Japanese officials to allege that Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s administration had violated an understanding between the two sides.

One person said Tokyo “felt betrayed,” stirring doubts over cooperation with Taipei on sensitive matters and potentially making such visits more difficult to arrange in the future.

“The leaks give Beijing convenient excuses to say that Japan and Taiwan are troublemakers” ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled for mid-May, the source said.

Can’t even enjoy a baseball game these days without being criticized by the Japanese 😮‍💨