China

China's central bank set the USD/CNY midpoint at 6.7841 on August 24, exceeding the Reuters estimate of 6.7248 by 593 basis points, with similar deviations recorded across at least five other sessions in the preceding two weeks. The gaps ranged from 387 to 612 points depending on the session and source, though estimate figures come from secondary relays rather than original survey documents, and one August 20 comparison is disputed between Bloomberg and a TradingPedia relay. The available record supports the factual observation of consistent above-estimate fixings in the sample period but does not establish deliberate depreciation guidance as official policy intent.

China's CMSA announced on August 23 that Chang'e-7 did not meet launch conditions for its planned 2026 window, offering no technical explanation and no confirmed replacement date. The Long March-5 Y14 rocket had already been transferred to the launch pad on August 19, just days before the scheduled lift-off. One specialist outlet attributed the delay to weather and limited launch opportunities, suggesting a possible late-September window, though this has not been confirmed by any official source.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has outlined 14 measures spanning pay raises, expanded outreach, and improved service conditions after volunteer intake dropped from 18,900 in 2023 to 17,113 in 2025, even as overall force fill held at 80%. The measures lack published cost figures, salary amounts, or a single implementation deadline, leaving the gap between the response and its likely effect unresolved. A shrinking eligible male population, projected below 77,000 by 2027, adds a demographic constraint that the 14 measures do not directly address.

On July 1, 2026, Taiwan's military relaunched a compulsory five-day anti-communist patriotic education program for newly commissioned officers graduating from its eight military academies, reinstating a course name dropped 24 years ago. The curriculum covers cross-strait policy, cognitive warfare, and Chinese Communist Party infiltration tactics, with lecturers drawn from national security, intelligence, and academic institutions. Public records confirm the course's restoration and stated rationale but do not establish that it extends beyond academy graduates, introduces a new counterintelligence regime, or includes a formal evaluation framework.