Premier pulls out receipts for NT$2.14M ‘personal’ WBC trip

Premier pulls out receipts for NT$2.14M ‘personal’ WBC trip

2026-03-13

Premier Cho Jung-tai’s trip to Japan last weekend to watch a WBC game was the latest point of contention between the ruling and opposition camps this week. According to the premier, the trip was fully personal and self-funded, whereas the opposition maintained that it could not be so, considering that the flight was operated from a military base. On Tuesday, while questioned by lawmakers, Cho held up a paper bag, in which he said contains all the receipts. On Friday, the contents were finally pulled out for all to see.

- Is this not my name? Here, 2.08 million remitted, no?

The contents of the paper bag Premier Cho Jung-tai shown on Tuesday during a legislative hearing, which he said contains receipts for his self-funded trip to Japan last weekend, are finally out the bag for all to see.

Cho Jung-tai
Premier
The tour bus fare was 200,000 yen (approx. NT$40,000), tickets to the game were NT$18,500 in total. As for the chartered flight, here, March 7, flight CI188 at 6 a.m., Songshan to Haneda, 2.08 million.

The premier maintains that last weekend’s trip to Tokyo is a personal affair. The controversy arose from where his flight took off—the Air Force Songshan Command. KMT lawmaker Hsu Chiao-hsin visited the military base on Thursday to obtain evidence that the premier’s “private” trip was only in appearance. Cho questioned the KMT lawmaker’s motive to refute his claim.

Cho Jung-tai
Premier
She’s sidetracked the special defense budget to visit the Air Force Songshan Command in person, to insist that my trip was a public engagement. Her action clearly went against national interest, nor was it conducted in line with a legislator’s duty. She’s trying to prove a point, but to whom?

Cho’s trip to Japan was the first for an incumbent premier since Japan severed formal relations with Taiwan in the 70s. That alone is a diplomatic breakthrough. Some wonder whether he saw Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae in Tokyo. Cho did not give an explicit response.

Cho Jung-tai
Premier
You may wonder whether I met anyone or went anywhere. I told the secretary-general that while in Tokyo, I visited Kōenji. It’s a lovely neighborhood in Tokyo. Some of us went for ramen, some for coffee, and some caught up with friends, that’s all.

After days of political spat, the premier finally pulled out the receipts to support his claim that the Tokyo trip for him and his team was fully personal and self-funded.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#taiwanpolitics #WBC #tokyo #taiwan #卓榮泰

曬單據打臉藍營卓榮泰訪日行程"約214萬"全自費

2026-03-13

行政院長卓榮泰日前飛往東京看球，遭在野黨質疑是公器私用，今天卓榮泰曬出單據打臉國民黨，包含包機費用、進場門票以及包遊覽車錢，將近214萬的費用全是自掏腰包，卓榮泰也再度澄清，此行就是"私人行程"，不懂在野為何一直要將它定義為公務行程，居心為何?

- 這是不是我的名字，208萬是不是匯出去了

行政院長卓榮泰訪日單據大公開，從包機費用、進場門票、遊覽車收據通通攤在陽光下，正面迎戰在野黨質疑。

[[行政院長卓榮泰]]
“遊覽車車資日幣20萬元(約台幣4萬)，(比賽門票)一共是18500元，包機專案，這個包機就是3月7日，CI188早上六點松山飛羽田，208萬”

卓揆堅稱是私人行程，但前一天藍營立委徐巧芯才考察松指部，稱松指部證實私人包機是政院下令，徐巧芯居心為何，卓揆也有話要說。

[[行政院長卓榮泰]]
“放著軍購的條例，擺在那邊跑到松指部，就是要說我就是公務行程，所以這個完全不是站在國家利益，完全不是站在立法委員的本質，是一種在交代事情，我就不曉得是在向誰交代”

現任行政首長赴日，無疑是一場外交突破，但到底有沒有和高市早苗見面？卓榮泰這回應耐人尋味。

[[行政院長卓榮泰]]
“你要說有見到誰，去到哪裡，我跟秘書長開玩笑說，我去到東京有個地方叫做高圓寺，東京有個地方很漂亮叫高圓寺，是一個寺廟的寺，那有人去吃了拉麵，有人去喝咖啡，有人去找一些老朋友，就是這樣”

為了讓大眾釋疑，卓院長的牛皮紙袋大解密，只盼在野黨別把私人行程定義為公務行程大做文章。

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