Episode 50 of Beyond the Reefs explores how Taiwan is building resilience under mounting pressure. From TSMC’s new Pingtung semiconductor hub and a record NT$1 trillion defense budget, to U.S. tariffs that have doubled furloughs and left industries scrambling, the island is facing stress tests on every front. At the Taipei defense expo, drones and asymmetric systems took center stage, while experts urged firms to first scale in Europe. Alliances with Japan and the U.K. highlight Taiwan’s reliance on democratic partners, even as Nvidia’s deepening ties with Intel signal challenges to TSMC’s legacy dominance in global semiconductor manufacturing.