Gray-zone escalation across South China Sea and Taiwan Strait

PLA/coast guard drills around Scarborough Shoal, US rejects China's 'national nature reserve' claim. China admits two fatalities from last year's collision. Germany sends warship for first time in 18 years; EU deepens ties with Philippines. PLA deploys anti-drone laser systems. Taiwan announces 16% defense budget hike, deploys M1A2T Abrams tanks. China uses Typhoon Dolphin to assert control. First China-Indonesia naval exercise east of Taiwan draws criticism. China tests submarine-launched ballistic missile. Russia helps China close undersea gap. Japan labels China 'greatest future threat'. Beijing's multi-pronged 'governing' Taiwan strategy. China's cyberattacks on Taiwan escalate with 2.63M daily attacks targeting infrastructure and chip firms.