以下為文章的英文翻譯：

• President of the Executive Yuan Cho Jung-tai Questioned for Japan Trip to Watch Classic Series

  • President of the Executive Yuan Cho Jung-tai(卓榮泰) was revealed by veteran media personality Hong Yang-ming(洪洋明) via a television broadcast to have appeared at the Tokyo Dome in Japan to watch the World Baseball Classic, sparking public attention.
  • Cho Jung-tai publicly stated that the trip was a "private itinerary," "fully self-funded," and emphasized that "there were no other arrangements."
  • Media further reported that Cho Jung-tai traveled to Japan on a China Airlines special flight departing from Songshan Airport. Taipei City Councilor Chang Chih-hao(張志豪) questioned why a private trip would use a special flight and depart from Songshan Airport.
  • The estimated cost of the chartered flight could be as high as several million or even tens of millions of New Taiwan Dollars (NTD), which contrasts with Cho Jung-tai's declared cash assets of approximately NTD 9 million, raising public questions about his ability to "self-fund" and the source of his funds.
  • Several Democratic Progressive Party, DPP Legislators (such as Su Chiao-hui(蘇巧慧), Kuan Bi-ling(管碧玲), and Kuo Kuo-wen(郭國文)) stepped forward to "defend" Cho Jung-tai, explaining his trip as a "diplomatic breakthrough" or a "meeting with Japanese dignitaries." However, this narrative contradicted Cho Jung-tai's statement of "no other arrangements."
  • Commentators pointed out that the government's concealment and lack of transparency in handling the matter caused what could have been a diplomatically beneficial action to be viewed instead as a "black box operation" or serving personal political interests.
  • Sources hinted that Cho Jung-tai might not have met any Japanese dignitaries during his time in Japan, further undermining the "diplomatic breakthrough" claim. The trip was criticized for having unclear objectives, unclear significance, and unclear results, merely being a political show.

• DPP Legislators Collectively Absent to Watch Baseball Game

  • At a critical juncture when the Legislative Yuan was deliberating several important bills (including military procurement budgets, general budgets for emerging projects like TPASS, and livelihood welfare items), as many as 22 Democratic Progressive Party, DPP Legislators were collectively absent from the Plenary Session.
  • These important votes often passed with a stark majority of 54 to 29, indicating a large number of absent Democratic Progressive Party, DPP Legislators.
  • Some Legislators were found to have traveled to Japan to watch the Classic Series, while others claimed to be attending local events, but their priorities were questioned.
  • Taiwan People's Party, TPP Legislator Hung Yu-hsiang(洪毓祥) pointed out that the Taiwan People's Party, TPP caucus actively promoted the priority review of budgets for emerging projects related to public welfare (totaling approximately NTD 71.8 billion), but most Democratic Progressive Party, DPP Legislators voted against them or were absent.
  • Democratic Progressive Party, DPP Legislator Shen Po-yang(沈伯洋) stated that he specifically flew back to Taiwan from Japan to deliberate two bills and the military procurement case, then flew back to Japan to continue cheering. This action was ironically described as "Taiwan is very rich" by American media personality Ross Follinger, who questioned whether the defense budget (NTD 1.25 trillion) and investment in the US (NTD 250 billion) were still insufficient.
  • Veteran media personality Hsieh Han-bing(謝寒冰) criticized these Legislators for "piggybacking on baseball for exposure," asserting that their "professional questioning" and "resisting China to protect Taiwan" were deceptive, and in reality, they only cared about their own political interests.
  • Shen Po-yang retorted to external criticism, asking if bills needed to be "ceremoniously ushered through" to pass, and his attitude was criticized as lacking class.
  • Commentators noted that the Democratic Progressive Party, DPP had previously criticized opposition party Legislator Huang Kuo-Chang(黃國昌) for skipping work to watch a game, but now its own members were collectively absent, demonstrating a double standard.
  • The Democratic Progressive Party, DPP was accused of packaging "skipping work to watch a game" as an act of "loving Taiwan" to evade public scrutiny and using it to attack critics as "not loving the Taiwan team."

• President Lai's Security Team Member Suspected of 'Stealing' Autographed Baseball

  • After President Lai attended a Taiwan-Japan baseball exchange game, a military police officer from his security team was reported to have allegedly "stolen" six autographed baseballs, including one signed by cheerleading squad member Qun Qun(峮峮).
  • Although the National Security Bureau stated it had "promptly handled" the matter and relieved the implicated military police officer of duty, this action was criticized as a passive response only after the incident came to light.
  • The public believes that such a "low-level mistake" by a presidential-level security team indicates its members' inability to resist temptation, potentially posing a "national security risk."
  • Some netizens sarcastically referred to the act as "self-appropriation" or "casual taking" rather than "theft," mocking the government's past pattern of coining terms like "over-purchasing" to blur focus when handling the "Presidential Special Flight Cigarette Smuggling Case."
  • Commentators reviewed the National Security Bureau's frequent negative news in recent years, including the 2019 special flight cigarette smuggling case, the 2021 Special Service Center's physical test fraud, and Major General Hsieh Ching-hua's drunken misconduct of forcibly kissing a married woman in 2024, concluding that these incidents severely damaged the national security system's trustworthiness and professional image.
  • Concerns were raised that if security personnel cannot resist the temptation of even an autographed baseball, then issues such as their susceptibility to bribery or leaking the President's whereabouts warrant vigilance.

• Taiwan Faces Oil Shortage and Natural Gas Supply Crisis

  • Escalating conflicts in the Middle East have led to rising international oil prices, with Qatar's Energy Minister warning of potential disruptions to oil and natural gas exports from the Gulf region, and international oil prices are projected to surge to US$150 per barrel.
  • The Lai administration was criticized for failing to respond to changing international circumstances in a timely manner, only activating the "dual stabilization mechanism" after public grievances erupted. This mechanism involves the government absorbing 60% of the oil price increase, reducing the estimated NTD 3.7 per liter gasoline price hike to NTD 1.5. This was seen as a passive, "hands-off" reaction.
  • Commentators questioned that the Middle East conflict was not a sudden event, and the government should have had more comprehensive early warning and response mechanisms. Furthermore, discontent was expressed by contrasting the lack of evacuation flights for Taiwanese expatriates in war-torn regions with high-ranking officials being able to take special flights to Japan to watch baseball.
  • Taiwan heavily relies on natural gas for power generation (over 50%), and natural gas is primarily imported. The Ministry of Economic Affairs initially stated that natural gas reserves could last until the end of March, but later revised this to April. The response measures were criticized as short-term fixes lacking a long-term strategy.
  • The government was accused of having its energy policy held hostage by ideology, being unwilling to actively restart nuclear power. Despite public calls, the extension of Nuclear Power Plant No. 3's operation is still projected for 2028, which is too slow to address immediate needs.
  • Commentators criticized Ministry of Economic Affairs officials for their contradictory statements, first claiming energy supply was "sufficient" and "stable," then later mentioning that if the situation in April worsened, coal-fired power generation would be expanded, and even considering restarting old power plants (such as units at Hsinta Power Plant), contradicting the government's net-zero carbon emissions and carbon reduction goals.
  • These measures were seen as "toothpaste-squeezing" policy responses rather than forward-looking planning, which would lead to the public bearing the cost of erroneous policies.
  • Energy issues are regarded as national security concerns; unstable natural gas supply will directly impact the development of Taiwan's high-tech industries, such as semiconductors, and the government should review its energy structure.