Han Kuang Drills: Taiwan President Lai Ching-te boarded a fast-attack missile boat and oversaw coastal strike operations in Kaohsiung as the annual Han Kuang exercise tested drones, counter-landing tactics, and continuity of government under a simulated Chinese assault. Military Security & Accountability: A former soldier was sentenced to two years and seven months for leaking details of Taiwan’s Hsiung Feng II missile to China, with the case tied to a key coastal defense unit participating in the drills. Cross-Strait Civil Exchanges: Over 100 Taiwan-based civil groups joined a Beijing event for culture, technology, health care, grassroots governance, and youth forums, with organizers urging more Taiwanese visits to the mainland. Pacific Diplomacy: Taiwan will attend the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau as a development partner after last year’s exclusion linked to China pressure on the Solomon Islands. Strait Tensions in a Storm: During Typhoon Dolphin, China issued a temporary traffic control order for the southern Taiwan Strait, which Taiwan rejected as an attempt to control international waters; Taiwan’s Coast Guard said it saw no unusual Chinese ship activity. Disaster Disruption: Typhoon Dolphin battered Japan’s Okinawa and Kagoshima, injuring people and cutting power, while it disrupted flights and ferries across Japan, Taiwan, and China. US Trade Pressure on Taiwan Industry: Taiwan said new US polysilicon tariffs and minimum prices will have limited impact, noting Taiwan’s tariff cap and a path for semiconductor firms to seek exemptions.