Taiwan Strait gray-zone escalation and new China-Japan maritime confrontation

PLA live-fire drills July 23-24, sustained naval presence. US House passes FY2027 NDAA with $10B for Taiwan. Taiwan coast guard receives new cutter. On July 25, China conducted first systematic fishery survey east of Taiwan; CCG intercepted Japanese patrol ship PLH42, marking a direct China-Japan confrontation in waters east of Taiwan. Japan's collective self-defense stance on Taiwan conflict highlighted.