Driven by new energy vehicle subsidy policies, the localization wave of automotive chips in China is intensifying, accelerating the domestic substitution process. Chinese integrated device manufacturers (IDM) such as Silan and BYD have achieved breakthrough growth in the power semiconductor sector, with their market shares rising significantly. This shift disrupts the long-standing dominance of foreign companies and has drawn the attention of international IDMs

Chinese semiconductor equipment manufacturers benefited from a surge in localization-driven procurement in the first quarter of 2025. Data from CnEVPost and Chinastarmarket.cn show that 11 of 12 chip equipment firms listed on the SSE Star Market posted year-over-year revenue gains, with nine reporting growth rates above 25%

The Trump administration plans to overhaul regulations on the export of semiconductors used in artificial intelligence (AI), tossing out a Biden-era approach that had drawn strenuous objections from US allies and companies including Nvidia Corp. and Oracle Corp

Alibaba Group has introduced ZeroSearch, an open-source reinforcement learning framework that simulates search engine functionality, reducing AI model training costs by nearly 90%. As described in a paper by Alibaba's research team, ZeroSearch enables large language models (LLMs) to enhance search capabilities without relying on external search engines, marking a significant leap in affordable and efficient AI development

Nissan Motor plans to cut around 20,000 jobs worldwide—more than twice the 9,000 announced in late 2024—as part of a sweeping restructuring effort aimed at reversing declining sales and long-term underperformance. The layoffs would impact approximately 15% of its 130,000 global employees

The global boom in generative AI, fueled by OpenAI, triggered a surge of investment into Chinese AI startups. But OpenAI's recent decision to abandon its for-profit status—announced by CEO Sam Altman—highlights the growing difficulty of monetizing AI innovation. Meanwhile, China's so-called "AI Four Darlings," CloudWalk Technology, SenseTime Group, Megvii Technology, and Yitu Technology, are battling mounting losses and operational setbacks, with growing pressure to overhaul their business strategies

Huawei has entered into a strategic partnership with Ubtech Robotics Inc. to integrate its AI chip capabilities with Ubtech's humanoid robotics expertise. The alliance aims to fast-track the development of embodied intelligence and bring humanoid robots from lab prototypes to practical deployment in industrial and home environments

The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) released data on smartphone shipments in March 2025, showing an overall year-over-year increase of 6.5%, with Chinese brand shipments rising by 18.4%. Based on these figures, shipments of non-Chinese brand smartphones—dominated by Apple—declined nearly 50% year-over-year

China's auto industry is accelerating, driven by soaring demand for electric vehicles (EVs). New figures from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers report a 9.8% year-over-year increase in new vehicle sales, including exports, reaching 2.59 million units in April. The growth is largely due to a sharp increase in sales of electric and other new-energy vehicles. EVs now account for 49.5% of all new cars sold in China, marking a rise of nearly 10pp from the previous year

LG Display (LGD) is set to participate in the Society for Information Display's (SID) Display Week 2025 with a major focus on next-generation automotive displays. Highlights include a 50% stretchable display, the world's largest 57-inch full cockpit width point-to-point (P2P) panel, and an 18-inch slidable OLED

In a rare sign of easing tensions, the US and China have reached a temporary détente on tariffs, agreeing to a 90-day truce that significantly reduces mutual trade penalties. Under the agreement, Washington will lower tariffs on Chinese imports to a maximum of 30%, while Beijing will scale back its duties on American goods to 10%

The US-China negotiations have reached an agreement to temporarily reduce tariffs on each other for 90 days, buying more time for further talks. According to statements from both countries, the US will lower tariffs on China to 30%, while China will reduce tariffs on the US to 10%. However, even with this concession, electronics assembly supply chain players state that production capacity already relocated will not return—it is a one-way move

Europe is grappling with growing concerns over the cybersecurity risks posed by Chinese-made photovoltaic inverters, prompting discussions about restricting high-risk suppliers from connecting to its power systems. The debate mirrors the 2019 US ban on Huawei solar inverters, which cited potential remote control threats to the power grid, particularly during wartime

South Korean TC bonder (TCB) manufacturer Hanwha Semitech recently announced an organizational restructuring aimed at strengthening its development capabilities for next-generation semiconductor equipment. This move is expected to accelerate the innovation of new semiconductor device technologies

Sharp plans to sell its Kameyama No. 2 factory in Japan's Mie Prefecture to its parent company, Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), as the company continues to scale back its once-dominant liquid crystal display business, according to a May 12 report by Nikkei