A two-day tabletop exercise exploring Taiwan's political, economic, military and psychological vulnerabilities opened this week in Taipei, with Taiwan Current News serving as the event's exclusive media partner.The "2026 Political, Economic, Military, and Psychological Situation Tabletop Exercise" (2026 TTX) is co-organized by the Institute of International Relations at National Chengchi University, the Taiwan Center for Security Studies, the Asia-Pacific Policy Research Association, the 21st Century Foundation and the Chinese (Taiwan) Society of International Law. It is being held April 15–16 at NCCU's College of Commerce.The exercise is set within a 2030 scenario, reflecting intensifying great-power competition and shifting global dynamics. Background conditions include China and Russia's expanding strategic coordination in the Arctic by 2027 and China's growing military and logistical capabilities in the Tumen River area by 2030 — factors that could reshape security conditions in Northeast Asia and the Taiwan Strait.The exercise adopts a cross-sector framework covering political, economic, military, and societal (PEMS) dimensions. It focuses on key issues including gray-zone coercion, economic resilience, and whole-of-society defense.Professor Liu Fu-kuo (劉復國), director of the Taiwan Center for Security Studies at National Chengchi University and one of the hosts, said in opening remarks that the challenges Taiwan faces today extend well beyond the military domain, encompassing economic, political, and psychological dimensions. He cited the ongoing Iran conflict as one example, noting that its most immediate impact on Taiwan is in the area of energy security — a development the exercise was designed to reflect.Liu said the tabletop exercise, through its multi-dimensional discussions, aims to update participants' understanding of Taiwan's evolving strategic environment and to explore what strategic adjustments Taiwan should make amid intensifying great-power competition.Legislator and retired ROC Navy Admiral Chen Yeong-kang (陳永康), also a host of the 2026 TTX, noted in his opening remarks that the Strait of Hormuz carries more than 20 percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, while the Taiwan Strait handles roughly 20 to 25 percent of global container shipping — making it no less strategically vital than its Middle Eastern counterpart. Given the critical role the waters around the Taiwan Strait play in both global and regional commerce, Chen warned that any conflict there would leave no winners. "If something happened there, everybody will be a loser," he said.The two-day program is structured around seven simulation modules, or "moves," beginning with gray-zone military pressure and legal warfare, followed by discussions on societal resilience, energy security, economic stability, industrial competitiveness, and semiconductor strategy.Day one centers on China's gray-zone tactics against Taiwan, while day two shifts to long-term economic and technological challenges under sustained great-power rivalry.Beyond the simulation itself, the 2026 TTX serves as a platform for Taiwan to articulate its strategic concerns and policy thinking to the international community. As the exclusive media partner, TCN will continue to amplify key insights from the event and facilitate global dialogue on Taiwan's evolving security landscape.