Arm Holdings Plc has agreed to provide chip designs and technology to Malaysia over the next decade, to help catapult the Southeast Asian country beyond chip assembly and into more valuable semiconductor production

How big is Singapore? Around 700 square kilometers—roughly the size of Pudong north of Century Avenue in Shanghai. After dark, dinner was served on the first floor of the Capella Hotel, with six tables arranged for about 60 guests, including our hosts from Bank of America (BoA)

Alibaba's DAMO Academy has introduced its first server-grade RISC-V processor, the C930, designed for high-performance computing (HPC) applications. Announced at the XuanTie RISC-V Ecosystem Conference in Beijing, the chip is positioned to boost China's AI sector while navigating US semiconductor sanctions. Mass production and shipments are scheduled for March 2025

China has escalated its trade dispute with the US, imposing up to 15% tariffs on select American agricultural imports in response to the Trump administration's latest tariff hikes. Meanwhile, Beijing's Ministry of Commerce blacklisted 15 US companies under export controls along with 10 more firms added to its "unreliable entity" list, intensifying economic tensions between the world's two largest economies

China's annual "Two Sessions" kicked off with the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), where policymakers laid out economic and fiscal strategies for the year ahead. Premier Li Qiang delivered the government work report, detailing growth targets and key policy measures for 2025

China's recent trade-in subsidy program, aimed at boosting the consumer electronics market, has significantly impacted the supply chain. For Taiwanese IC design firms, it has sparked a restocking surge, setting the stage for a surprisingly strong first quarter of 2025—typically a slow period due to the Lunar New Year. Most expect revenues to hold steady or rise slightly from the fourth quarter of 2024, defying the typical seasonal downturn

With the growing demand for AI computing from enterprises, the market for AI all-in-one machines is experiencing explosive growth. Numerous Chinese companies are launching all-in-one machines based on the DeepSeek large language model (LLM). These machines incorporate AI models in hardware and offer customized services tailored to different application areas, advancing the penetration of AI technology across various industries

As competition between the US and China escalates, quantum computing has emerged as a pivotal battleground in the quest for technological dominance. Scientists at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), led by Jian-wei Pan, Xiao-bo Zhu, and Cheng-zhi Peng, have introduced Zuchongzhi 3.0, a next-generation superconducting quantum computing prototype with 105 qubits—marking a major step in China's quantum research

Top Japanese electronics manufacturer Kyocera has officially entered the 5G base station market. At MWC 2025, the company unveiled the O-RU Alliance, a partnership with telecom equipment providers from Taiwan, South Korea, and India. The initiative is designed to accelerate Open RAN (O-RAN) adoption, with a strong focus on network security

Despite stringent US export restrictions, Chinese buyers have been successfully acquiring Nvidia's cutting-edge Blackwell AI chips through unofficial channels, highlighting the persistent loopholes in Washington's export control measures since 2022. Should the Trump administration seek to staunch the flow of Nvidia's advanced AI chips into China, it must decisively plug these clandestine conduits—a task that emerges as a formidable new hurdle in escalating the Biden-era restrictions on Chinese access to semiconductor technology

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Finance have initiated discussions on imposing anti-dumping duties on Chinese-made graphite electrodes

China-based startup Zhipu AI has raised more than CNY1 billion (US$140 million) in its latest round of financing, with the investment to be used to fund the development of its GLM-series large language models (LLM)

India's Dixon Technologies is considering expanding its manufacturing operations in Uttar Pradesh, a key hub for mobile phone production. The company aims to start producing display modules by late 2025 and is leading this expansion by manufacturing 4K TVs for an Indian brand

Facing economic headwinds and escalating trade tensions, China is refocusing on its tech sector, with President Xi Jinping recently convening a rare symposium with high-tech entrepreneurs. This move signals Beijing's renewed commitment to technological innovation and industrial upgrades as key drivers of economic growth

Backed by state subsidies and a self-sufficient supply chain, China is ramping up SiC substrate and mature process chip production at an unprecedented pace. The expansion is fueling fears of a global oversupply and intensifying price competition for industry leaders like Rohm Semiconductor and Wolfspeed