Driven by geopolitical shifts and supply chain restructuring, Southeast Asia has become an important destination for Taiwanese electronics manufacturers seeking to expand capacity and diversify risk. The rise of AI servers and semiconductor equipment markets has further strengthened the region's strategic position in global supply chains.
In August 2025, the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker BYD announced plans to build a completely knocked-down (CKD) assembly plant at the KLK Technology Park in Tanjung Malim, Malaysia's Perak state, with operations expected to begin in 2026.
The second edition of GITEX AI Asia 2026 opened at Marina Bay Sands, bringing together participants from more than 110 countries, as industry focus shifts from artificial intelligence model development to large-scale deployment.
China's imports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment from Southeast Asia surged in 2025, surpassing direct shipments from the US, according to a Nikkei Asia analysis, as Washington moves to tighten export controls on advanced chipmaking tools.
The convergence of AI and quantum computing is drawing increasing attention from governments and enterprises, particularly around long-term data security, speakers said at a panel discussion during GITEX AI Asia.
Artificial intelligence (AI) agents are moving into real-world deployment across industries, automating routine workflows and pushing human roles toward oversight, judgment, and system design, speakers said at GITEX AI Asia.
Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary and State President To Lam will pay a state visit to China from April 14-17, where he is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Against the backdrop of ongoing conflict in the Middle East, both sides are expected to prioritise energy security and expand bilateral trade cooperation.
At GITEX AI Asia, AdaniConneX CEO Jeyakumar Janakaraj said the company is building toward gigawatt-scale data center capacity in India, as demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure accelerates across the region.
GITEX Asia 2026 wrapped up in Singapore with a clear shift in industry priorities, as artificial intelligence (AI) spending moves from infrastructure buildout toward monetization, with inference and edge deployment emerging as the next battleground.
