Taiwan Strait Tensions: Taiwan fired 32 U.S.-supplied HIMARS rockets westward in a live-fire drill, testing “shoot-and-scoot” tactics and drawing a sharp condemnation from Beijing. U.S.-China Tech Friction: China said it’s “strongly dissatisfied” after the Pentagon added major Chinese tech firms to a military-linked list; the dispute also echoes in export curbs affecting NVIDIA’s China push for Vera CPUs as H200 GPU shipments stall. Philippines Sanctions Fallout: Beijing barred Defense chief Gilberto Teodoro and family from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, prompting lawmakers to call it an attack on Philippine sovereignty. AI, Law, and Control: China’s AI monetisation is shifting toward enterprise value, while courts see rising AI-related labor disputes and warn firms can’t offload risks onto workers. Smart Surveillance in Schools: “Smart campuses” are expanding with AI cameras to track classroom behavior and attentiveness, with many secondary schools already installing systems. Digital Yuan Push: China’s upgraded e-CNY framework will pay interest and expand cross-border settlement options beyond SWIFT, aiming to chip away at dollar dominance. Regional Diplomacy & Trade: Wang Yi met Mongolia’s FM to deepen Belt and Road and trade ties; the 10th China–South Asia Expo in Kunming highlighted green energy cooperation. Business & Security: Meta began unwinding its $2B Manus deal after Beijing’s divestment demand, complicating AI collaboration.