Humanoid robots continue to advance, with XPeng recently showcasing its new-generation humanoid robot IRON, whose lifelike posture has sparked widespread industry discussion. Shortly after, Tesla released a video of its Optimus robot running, featuring more natural and agile strides compared to earlier versions. These developments from two leading players highlight that the next wave of humanoid robot drive technology upgrades will become a fiercely contested battleground

Samsung Electronics has unveiled a key technology pathway for sub-10nm DRAM, offering a rare public look at how the company plans to push memory scaling beyond current 10nm-class limits and into future 0a and 0b nodes

Singapore and China have signed 27 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation in areas such as finance, the digital economy, green development, and technology. The agreements were finalized during the Singapore-China Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting held in Chongqing, co-chaired by Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong and China's Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang

The Trump administration has launched an interagency review to determine whether to authorize the first exports of Nvidia's H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, Reuters reported

Japan plans to guarantee up to 80 percent of private-sector loans raised by Rapidus as the government intensifies financial backing for the chipmaker’s plan to mass-produce 2nm semiconductors, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on December 18

China has begun easing restrictions on rare earth exports by approving a series of general licenses for qualified suppliers, according to the Ministry of Commerce on December 18, 2025. The move allows for smoother shipments to overseas customers and signals a measured loosening of trade controls that had tightened earlier this year

China's GPU start-ups are back at the center of a capital-market frenzy. Following Moore Threads, five-year-old MetaX has listed on Shanghai's STAR Market, with its shares surging more than sevenfold on debut. At its peak, the company's market capitalization briefly hit CNY330 billion (US$46.9 billion)—a striking number for a business generating just CNY1.5–2 billion in annual revenue, and one that would raise eyebrows even by global semiconductor standards

As competitive pressures in China's domestic auto market continue to intensify, Chinese carmakers are rapidly upgrading their overseas expansion strategies. What was once a straightforward export business—selling vehicles abroad—has evolved into what industry executives describe as "Go Global 2.0": a coordinated effort to export entire industrial systems and ecosystems, not just finished products

Hotai Motor Co. plans to invest approximately NT$10 billion (US$317 million) in Japan's commercial vehicle market, marking its first international expansion. The company will acquire an 80% stake in five Hino Motors Ltd. subsidiaries, pending regulatory approval. The deal is expected to close in April 2026

China's 3C market has been reporting successive price hikes despite a sluggish macroeconomic environment and deflationary pressure. Xiaomi, followed by Honor, Lenovo, and Dell, have increased prices, demonstrating the impact of memory shortages on the 3C end market

SK Hynix is accelerating the build-out of its M15X memory chip plant in Cheongju, South Korea, as the company installs manufacturing tools and moves into the final engineering phase for a second cleanroom, underscoring its push to scale production of high-bandwidth memory chips used in advanced servers and data centers

As humanoid robots emerge as a key technology riding the wave of AI, the US and China are rapidly forming two competing camps. Industry insiders analyzing their strengths say the US holds an edge mainly in software and foundational models, while China slightly outpaces the US in hardware innovation and iteration speed, with costs reportedly just one-fifth those of American products, making it difficult for other countries to catch up in the short term

As global technology groups push beyond raw computing power into large-scale deployment, Alibaba Group is showing clear acceleration in AI application rollout across its core businesses

A South Korean logic IC startup is moving closer to cable-free device design with the development of a 60GHz millimeter-wave communication chip designed to replace short-range wired connections in consumer and industrial electronics