Cross-Strait Maritime Pressure: Taiwan reported a sharp jump in Chinese coast guard and research vessel activity around the island in June, with 263 Chinese ships detected versus 200 in May, underscoring “grey zone” pressure and prompting drills focused on protecting Pacific sea routes. Semiconductor Security: Taiwan indicted a former TSMC executive over alleged plans to leak core chip technologies to China, with prosecutors seeking a seven-year prison term under national security and trade secrets laws. AI Chip Market Mood: After a rough week, semiconductor stocks rebounded as investors looked ahead to AMD’s Advancing AI 2026 conference and weighed competition from lower-cost Chinese AI models. TSMC Capex Momentum: TSMC posted record Q2 results driven by AI-optimized demand and reiterated strong multi-year AI chip outlook while expanding U.S. investment in Arizona. Food Safety Watch: TFDA said all remaining Central Union cooking oil batches from April–June passed safety tests for benzo[a]pyrene, with an independent factory review set to follow. Labor & Platforms: Taiwan’s delivery worker protection law takes effect Tuesday, setting minimum pay guarantees and more transparency for delivery platforms. Energy & Trade Risk: Oil steadied after earlier gains tied to U.S.-Iran escalation, keeping shipping and inflation concerns in focus for regional economies. Defense Industry: GA-ASI and Kongsberg advanced MQ-9B integration work for the JSM missile, while the RAF Protector RG Mk1 completed weapons qualification for Paveway IV and Brimstone.