Column: Trump’s US$1.5T defense dream hits rust-belt reality

US President Donald Trump has requested a fiscal year 2027 defense budget of US$1.5 trillion. This represents a nearly 50% increase from fiscal year 2026’s roughly US$1 trillion. Trump’s goal is clear: rebuild a strong military. Experts expect the budget to significantly boost procurement for expanded naval fleets, advanced aircraft, and new nuclear missile programs.

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A Singaporean reality check for the semiconductor age

Joseph Liow, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, said in a recent public lecture that technology is no longer merely an engine of economic growth but has become a core instrument in great-power competition. For Taiwan, which sits at the center of the semiconductor industry and global supply chains, Liow said the rules of competition have fundamentally changed.

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Column: US NDAA opens new defense manufacturing opportunities for Taiwan firms

The 2026 US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), signed at the end of 2025, introduces significant new business prospects for Taiwanese companies by emphasizing Taiwan’s security and cooperation in defense procurement. Key provisions include a US$1 billion Taiwan security cooperation initiative and authorization for the US Department of Defense (DoD) to establish a joint unmanned systems program with Taiwan starting March 1, 2026, focusing on co-developing drones and counter-drone technologies.

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Taiwan’s January exports jump nearly 70% on AI server boom, boosting 2026 growth optimism and tech defense push

Taiwan’s export value in January 2026 surged 69.9% year-on-year, surpassing the NT$2 trillion (US$63.7 billion) mark for the first time, largely due to differences in the number of working days between the Lunar New Year periods in 2025 and 2026. Strong shipments of AI servers and high-performance chips have prompted foreign banks to forecast Taiwan’s GDP growth could reach 8.0% in 2026. If realized, this would mark a second consecutive year of above-8% expansion, following 2025’s 8.63% growth.

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QD-OLED evolution on MSI monitors – from text clarity to the 5th Gen RGB Stripe Penta Tandem

QD‑OLED technology has undergone one of the most dramatic evolutions in modern display engineering. What began as a bold attempt to merge OLED contrast with quantum‑dot color has now matured into a platform capable of exceptional clarity, efficiency, and durability. MSI, in close partnership with Samsung Display, has been at the center of this transformation – adopting each generation of QD‑OLED…

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The Xiaomi TV S Mini LED 2026 series is launched globally

Xiaomi has officially launched its 2026‑generation Xiaomi TV S Mini LED series globally, introducing two premium large‑format models – the 98-inch Xiaomi TV S Mini LED 98 2026 and 85-inch Xiaomi TV S Mini LED 85 2026. The new lineup brings advances in Mini LED technology, display precision, and cinematic immersion. The 98‑inch model leads the series with an advanced QD‑Mini LED panel featuring…

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The AOC AGON Pro AGP277QK pushes gaming displays into the 1000 Hz era

AOC has officially stepped into uncharted territory with the launch of the AOC AGON Pro AGP277QK, a monitor that doesn’t just raise the bar for esports displays – it punts it into the stratosphere. Announced alongside its Philips sibling – the Philips 27M2N5500XD in Dember 2025, the AGP277QK is one of the world’s first true 1000 Hz dual‑mode gaming monitors, a milestone that feels less like an…

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