China's dominance in global tungsten production, accounting for over 80% of the supply, has placed the country in a strategic position amid escalating tensions with the US. Beginning in early February 2025, China enacted export controls on 25 types of rare metal products and technologies, a response to US tariff increases
As India emerges as a potential key player in the semiconductor industry, Tata Electronics' partner, Tokyo Electron, is contemplating establishing a manufacturing presence in India, reports the Economic Times
India reportedly begins exporting mechanical components for Apple products to Vietnam and China, potentially signaling an increasing development of India's manufacturing ecosystem thanks to Apple suppliers
Delta Electronics plans to expand the Indian market with industrial automation foray. Tata is expected to sign MoUs with semiconductor firms to enhance its chip capabilities
The UK has unveiled its most expansive round of sanctions yet targeting Russia, encompassing 107 new designations, among which are 10 companies hailing from China and Hong Kong. In a departure from previous measures, this latest blacklist incorporates a broader array of individuals and entities from regions beyond Russia, including so-called "third country" firms acting as intermediaries. According to Voice of America, legal experts studying Hong Kong's role in facilitating Russia's activities note that, while these steps are proactive, the implicated companies can dissolve within days, only to swiftly reemerge and resume their operations unabated
SmartSens Technology (Shanghai) Co., a top Chinese CMOS image sensor (CIS) manufacturer, announced on February 27 a long-term strategic partnership with Nexchip Semiconductor, a Hefei-based wafer foundry backed by Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC)
On February 27th, Adata announced the formalization of a strategic partnership with Itochu Corporation, a prominent Japanese conglomerate, and its subsidiary, Itochu Retail Link Corporation. The collaboration aims to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the Japanese memory market
According to Bloomberg, Philippines-based Ayala Corp. decided to retain Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI), its contract manufacturing subsidiary, after previously considering a sale, Chief Financial Officer Alberto de Larrazabal said. He noted that IMI is expected to operate profitably this year following a reorganization and a streamlined corporate structure aimed at improving efficiency
With non-Chinese markets entering their traditional off-season and the Chinese market lacking a nationwide shopping promotion event, overall smartphone shipments by Chinese brands are expected to decrease by 9.7% on quarter in the first quarter of 2025 after enjoying good sequential growth in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to DIGITIMES' latest report covering China's smartphone industry
As US technology companies continue to unveil quantum processing units (QPUs), the commercialization of quantum computers is expected to accelerate. South Korean firms are also investing in R&D centered around future applications. However, South Korea currently lags behind major countries in overall quantum technology and urgently needs government support to close this gap
Unitree Robotics, the Hangzhou-based startup behind the YangBOT performance at CCTV's New Year's Gala, is making waves in the robotics industry. Founder Xingxing Wang was recently recognized by Chinese President Xi Jinping at a private entrepreneurs' forum in Beijing, signaling the company's rising prominence
Prices of mature process memory, long hit by oversupply due to fast capacity expansion at Chinese makers, are expected to rebound, thanks to the Chinese government's consumption stimulus programs
SK Hynix has advanced the groundbreaking of its first-phase Yongin Semiconductor Cluster plant (Yongin 1) from March 2025 to late February 2025 after the Yongin Special City government fast-tracked approvals
Apple has signed an agreement with Indonesia to invest in the country, paving the way for sales of the iPhone 16 to resume in Southeast Asia's largest nation
Shanghai Zhaoxin Semiconductor Co., China's x86 CPU manufacturer, has successfully deployed the DeepSeek-R1 distilled model across its entire hardware lineup, supporting models ranging from 1.5B to 671B parameters. Its processors—compatible with PCs, laptops, workstations, and servers—offer native support for Linux, Windows, and domestic operating systems, along with optimization for Chinese-made AI accelerators
