On January 20, 2025, China's DeepSeek unveiled its R1 model, marking a strategic breakthrough in the global race for large language models (LLMs). Spearheaded by founder Wenfeng Liang, R1 departed from the US model of large-scale compute and instead championed a lean, open-source approach focused on cost efficiency

The recent tariff negotiations between the US and China have led to short-term concessions in some areas, but unresolved issues continue to tighten the noose on global supply chains. Among these, China's expanded restrictions on rare earth exports are significantly impacting critical industries, leaving European and American supply chains scrambling

As Nvidia chooses to build its overseas headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan's government is promising to be more than a host. It wants to be Nvidia's strongest ally. But can it keep that promise

Samsung Electronics is doubling down on its leadership in advanced memory technology. Following its latest developments at the Pyeongtaek facility, industry sources report that Samsung also plans to establish a mass production line for sixth-generation 1c DRAM at its Hwaseong campus. Investments are slated to commence as early as the end of 2025. Industry analysts in South Korea interpret this move as a clear signal of Samsung's growing confidence in its yield improvement capabilities

Amid intensifying geopolitical tensions and an escalating tech war, China's tech sector is undergoing a sweeping pivot. Companies like Xiaomi, Lenovo, and Huawei are accelerating the shift to in-house chips and operating systems in a bid to establish technological sovereignty

While reporters gathered at Taipei's Songshan Airport on May 12 hoping to spot Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, he was already in the Middle East, accompanying US President Donald Trump on a high-profile state visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Huang's presence marked a strategic move, as he was welcomed by regional royalty during a tour focused on AI partnerships

In recent years, the US government has tightened AI chip export restrictions targeting China, prompting Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to repeatedly warn that restricting Nvidia's AI chip exports to China actually accelerates the rapid rise of domestic chipmakers like Huawei. At Computex 2025, Huang told global media that Nvidia's market share in China has sharply declined, which will drive Chinese customers to support local chip companies such as Huawei

According to iNews24 and SE Daily, SK Hynix System IC, the 8-inch foundry subsidiary of SK Hynix, is urging employees in both South Korea and China to transfer to its joint venture unit in Wuxi, China, as part of a business optimization effort. The company recently held briefings for staff, offering an incentive of 3,000% of the base salary for those who accept the transfer to SK Hynix System IC (Wuxi)

LG Electronics' Indian subsidiary reached record revenue and net profit in early 2025, strengthening its position in the South Asian market and enhancing prospects for a potential listing in India

As OpenAI CEO Sam Altman toured the Middle East with Donald Trump, promoting a regional "Stargate Project," a quieter but equally profound AI revolution was unfolding in China. At its center is not a headline-chasing and media-hungry founder, but a reclusive, soft-spoken engineer: Liang Wenfeng

The Financial Times recently reported, citing informed sources, that Nvidia plans to establish a new R&D center in Shanghai to strengthen its strategic presence in the Chinese market. The initiative not only responds to China's persistent strong demand for high-end chips but also underscores a pragmatic strategy by the US chip firm to find balance amid rising geopolitical tensions

Taiwan-based Inventec is ramping up its global production capabilities in response to rising geopolitical risks and growing demand for AI servers. The company is expanding its manufacturing footprint in Texas and Thailand, aiming to strengthen regional supply chains and better serve customers worldwide

Japan's push to revive its semiconductor manufacturing is hitting speed bumps as major manufacturers expressed cautiousness over operation or expansion amid weak demand outside of AI

China has rapidly emerged as a global powerhouse in hydrogen energy, demonstrating strong capabilities across the entire supply chain—from production and storage to transport and fuel cell vehicle manufacturing. However, industry observers warn that the sector could soon face the same overcapacity and cutthroat price competition that once plagued the solar and wind industries

Xiaomi's XRing O1 will debut in the 15S Pro smartphone and Pad 7 Ultra, reportedly built on TSMC's second-gen 3nm (N3E) process. With around 19 billion transistors, the chip ranks alongside Apple's A17 Pro and other flagship SoCs, according to National Business Daily and Zol.com.cn