Germany and Japan have built powerful automotive manufacturing industries over decades, establishing global dominance with brands like Toyota, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Nissan, and Honda. However, the rapid rise of China's electric vehicle (EV) industry is now transforming an automotive sector that has remained stable for decades
The landscape of Japan's automotive industry faces potential reshaping as Honda and Nissan explore integration possibilities, complicated by Foxconn's reported interest in acquiring Nissan shares. This development could significantly impact both automakers' strategies in addressing the competitive electric vehicle (EV) market landscape
Chinese carmakers are rumored to be targeting financially troubled Nissan as a means of indirect entry into the US market. Rumors have also pointed to Foxconn as a possible suitor for an acquisition or potential joint control with a Chinese company
The Chinese government's subsidy program for energy-efficient appliances, combined with anticipated US tariff hikes, has triggered a sudden surge in TV demand in China and the US. This spike, supported by robust sales during key shopping events like Single's Day and Black Friday, has driven up production capacity utilization rates at TV panel manufacturers
Rapidus shared progress on its 2-nanometer (nm) chip production preparations at SEMICON Japan 2024, highlighting its innovative AI-enabled overhead transport system. The company remains on schedule for trial production in April 2025, while IBM emphasized the chips' significant power efficiency advantages
Japan-based Denso announced a strategic collaboration with Onsemi, aimed at advancing semiconductor technology vital for autonomous driving and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). As part of the partnership, Denso plans to acquire a stake in Onsemi, but the exact financial details are undisclosed
The US government has launched a national- security investigation into TP-Link, the China-founded router maker whose equipment now dominates the American market and has been targeted in repeated Chinese cyber attacks, people familiar with the matter said
Japanese robotics giants Fanuc and Yaskawa Electric are realigning their development strategies toward the US market amid declining demand in China. This shift is evident in their revenue breakdowns and recently announced business plans
Japanese NAND flash manufacturer Kioxia has announced plans to produce three additional types of memory, targeting next-generation products driven by artificial intelligence (AI) demand. The announcement comes as the company approaches its IPO and seeks to communicate its value to the market
The competition for advanced logic processes at the 2-nanometer level will enter its production phase in 2025. Following their absence in the 5nm and 3nm generations, both Intel and Japanese foundry operator Rapidus are positioning themselves in a transformed landscape dominated by TSMC and Samsung Foundry
Multiple delays in the production of Nvidia's flagship Thor smart driving chip have forced XPeng to reconsider its adoption for 2025 vehicle models. Wallstreetcn reports indicate that the setbacks are raising concerns about Nvidia losing key automaker partners
Zhipu AI, a Chinese artificial intelligence unicorn specializing in large language models (LLMs), has secured CNY3 billion (US$412 million) in its latest funding round—its second this year. According to Caixin, new investors include strategic and state-backed entities, alongside existing participants like Legend Capital. The proceeds will support the development of Zhipu's Generalized Language Model (GLM) series, strengthening its position in the AI industry
On December 17, 2024, the US Department of Defense (DoD) confirmed the removal of Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. (AMEC) and IDG Capital from its Chinese Military Companies (CMC) list, effective December 13
In a strategic move to consolidate resources against mounting competition in the electric vehicle market, Honda and Nissan have begun discussions about a possible merger, which would involve establishing a holding company to integrate both as subsidiaries, with the potential inclusion of Mitsubishi Motors
The US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has expanded semiconductor export controls to include high bandwidth memory (HBM), a crucial component for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. This strategic move raises concerns over the impact on Samsung Electronics, which sells specific HBM products to mainland China
