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Tuesday 2 September 2025
China's GPU startup Lisuan secures US$70 million as Dosilicon deepens stake, despite heavy losses
Dosilicon Co. has doubled down on Lisuan Technology, a Chinese GPU startup with no revenue but soaring investor attention. The Shanghai firm raised CNY500 million (US$70 million) in new funding, lifting its valuation to CNY4.21 billion
Monday 1 September 2025
Taiwan's aging panel fabs face extinction as industry shifts
Innolux recently decided to close its fifth-generation fab, while AUO is also implementing a replacement plan. Industry insiders predict that all fifth-generation and below panel fabs in Taiwan will be completely shut down within the next two to three years. Even some sixth- or seventh-generation fabs may face closure after two to three years
Monday 1 September 2025
Rapidus 2nm chip matches TSMC's logic density, outpaces Intel in performance

Rapidus is preparing to launch its most advanced chip yet, a 2nm process called "2HP," that could put it nearly on par with TSMC's N2 node and significantly ahead of Intel's 18A, according to Wccftech

Monday 1 September 2025
South Korea's display industry rebounds to US$10 billion in 1Q25, mixed outlook for 2H25
The Korea Display Industry Association (KDIA) reported that the combined revenue of South Korean panel companies reached US$10 billion in the first quarter of 2025, marking a return to the billion-dollar milestone after three years. This growth was primarily driven by increased demand for high-end OLED panels and customers placing early orders due to concerns over US tariffs
Monday 1 September 2025
China's ICT push: embedding AI across smartphones, PCs, and wearables by 2026

The US has tightened controls on China's semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors under the banner of national security. Yet the surge of generative AI is reshaping industries worldwide, and Beijing is pressing ahead with its ambitions, especially in embedding AI into consumer and industrial devices

Monday 1 September 2025
GM weighs South Korea exit as "Yellow Envelope" law passes
On August 24, 2025, South Korea's National Assembly officially passed amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act, otherwise known as the "Yellow Envelope" bill. Spearheaded by South Korea's current ruling party, the bill has caused significant concern in the country's industrial sector, with potential unrest brewing in its aftermath
Monday 1 September 2025
Samsung and SK Hynix waiver revoked: Korean chipmakers hobbled, China memory benefits
The Trump administration has revoked long-standing exemptions that allowed Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to use US equipment freely at their chip plants in China, a move that has jolted South Korea's semiconductor industry. Analysts warn the decision could prevent the companies from migrating to advanced nodes and undermine their ability to expand or upgrade local operations
Monday 1 September 2025
SMIC tightens grip on Beijing unit in latest wave of China wafer fab mergers
China's SMIC said it will acquire the remaining 49% stake in its subsidiary, SMIC North Integrated Circuit Manufacturing (Beijing), also known as SMIC North, through an issuance of A-shares in renminbi. The deal will give SMIC full control of the Beijing-based unit and underscores the broader consolidation trend reshaping China's semiconductor foundry sector, according to a filing in late August
Monday 1 September 2025
Huawei launches AI SSDs to ease China's chip bottlenecks
China's drive for self-sufficiency in AI has taken a new turn with Huawei's launch of AI solid-state drives (SSDs), aimed at easing severe shortages of high-bandwidth memory (HBM). Industry analysts describe the shift as "storage-driven computing," where SSDs move beyond passive data storage to play an active role in AI workloads
Monday 1 September 2025
China unveils AI Plus roadmap targeting smart economy by 2035
On August 26, 2025, China's State Council released a guideline on deepening the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence Plus Initiative, outlining six key sectors and setting phased targets for 2027, 2030, and 2035
Monday 1 September 2025
Research insights: bilateral gaps emerge as Vietnam treads carefully after Trump tariff order
On July 31, 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing new tariffs—ranging from 10% to 41%—on imports from 68 countries and the European Union (EU). While many trade partners faced updated rates, tariffs on Vietnamese goods remained unchanged: a 20% duty on direct imports and a 40% levy on transshipped goods. In exchange, Vietnam has agreed to fully open its market and eliminate all tariffs on American imports
Monday 1 September 2025
Samsung, LG losing TV war to China, bet on microLED revival
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics' television businesses have fallen from their former status as "flagship divisions" to becoming performance "obstacles," frequently losing ground in competition against Chinese companies. Industry insiders in South Korea are hopeful that the microLED TV market will flourish, helping Samsung and LG reverse their disadvantages in the TV sector
Monday 1 September 2025
Sharp sells Kameyama North Plant to Topia
Sharp Corporation announced on August 29 that it will sell part of its LCD panel factory in Kameyama City, Mie Prefecture, to automotive parts developer Topia for JPY1.2 billion (approx. US$8.172 million). The transaction involves the Kameyama Kita Plant, which ceased production in fiscal year 2020, according to Nikkei and NHK
Monday 1 September 2025
DDR4 demand eases at high levels, contract prices climbing through year-end
Memory spot prices surged in the second quarter of 2025 but have since stabilized at high levels. DDR4 supply remains constrained, yet the earlier rush to secure inventory has eased, with market activity reverting to more typical trading patterns. Industry analysts expect DDR4 contract prices to continue rising through year-end, as inventories at leading memory suppliers remain low
Monday 1 September 2025
China moves to curb disorderly AI competition amid global boom
China's top economic planner has pledged to prevent excess competition in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, signaling Beijing's intent to balance rapid innovation with the risks of overcapacity. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said provinces should pursue AI development in a coordinated and complementary way, leveraging their distinctive strengths rather than duplicating efforts