Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday displayed receipts totaling about NT$2.14 million (US$67,000) for his March 7 trip to Tokyo Dome to cheer on Taiwan’s team at the World Baseball Classic (WBC), rebutting opposition questions about public funding. 

Cho presented four receipts: NT$18,500 (US$580) for WBC tickets, NT$2.08 million (US$65,000) for a China Airlines charter flight, and 200,000 Japanese yen (US$1,300) for tour bus fees. He noted initially exchanging 220,000 yen but getting 20,000 yen refunded due to route changes.

Cho said, “This 2.08 million was wired by me to China Airlines from No. 1, Section 1, Zhongxiao East Road. This proves it’s purely private behavior. If Legislators Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯), Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇), and Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) think I can claim it as a public expense, I'll have my secretary general submit it tomorrow and get the money back. But for a self-funded private trip, of course, I'm happy to do it.” 

Cho stressed the trip was a “holiday day-trip, fully self-funded,” not using public funds, and arranged via charter to match game times for same-day return. As a monitored official, he followed reporting and security protocols but insisted it remained private, to support the Taiwanese team, and that it had been excessively politicized and distorted. He also joked that he “met many ramen shop owners” in Japan, but no Japanese officials. 

The premier urged refocusing the legislature on key issues like the central government budget and arms purchase ordinance.