China moved toward higher-value exports in response to escalating US trade and technology restrictions, reshaping global supply chains and forcing manufacturers to absorb higher costs, executives and research findings showed. The shift, visible in early 2026 trade patterns, came after rounds of US containment measures that began with 2018 tariffs and intensified following the 2025 policy expansion, according to a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council

Global Connect Show Shenzhen 2026 (GCS SZ 2026) was successfully held on June 1 in Shenzhen, China's innovation hub. Under the theme "Where Global Innovation Meets Market Opportunity," the event brought together more than 80 mainstream technology editors, key opinion leaders (KOLs), channel partners, and business associations from North America, the UK, Europe, and Southeast Asia, alongside over 100 Chinese enterprises expanding into international markets

China moved in late 2025 to prohibit companies from citing AI adoption as a reason for layoffs, directing employers to justify any workforce reductions as unrelated to AI, executives said. The policy followed meetings between senior officials and major employers to assess AI's impact on jobs and aimed to avoid social instability as firms accelerate AI deployment

South Korean internet giant Naver said it has formed a dedicated defense AI organization to pursue military AI transformation, deploy field engineers to client sites, and develop defense-specific AI capabilities. The move was disclosed by South Korean media outlets Seoul Economic Daily and Maeil Business Newspaper, which reported that Naver Cloud has established a "Defense AX Special Task Force" to commercialize AI services for defense customers

China's economy remained under pressure in 2026 as a weak property sector, sluggish domestic demand, and slow manufacturing investment outweighed resilient trade, according to research institutes and market forecasters. Taiwan's Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics sharply raised its 2026 growth forecast for Taiwan on May 29, projecting expansion of 9.64% after revising 2025 growth to 8.76%, while S&P Global forecasted China's 2026 GDP at 4.4%, down 0.1 percentage point from its prior outlook

During Global Connect Show (GCS) 2026 in Shenzhen, China, Pixverse AI presented and demoed its AI video platform, reflecting the exceptional rate at which AI video is transforming. According to the Chief Representative of Singapore and Global PR Head at Pixverse AI, Robyn Tan, the platform supports three creation paths: text-to-video, image-to-video, and multi-image cinematic production

India's emerging semiconductor startups are entering a crucial phase as companies such as Netrasemi, Mindgrove Technologies, and Agnit Semiconductors move from research into customer pilots and prepare for larger-scale production. The shift comes as supply-chain constraints and testing risks continue to determine how quickly the sector can scale

India's biggest business groups are ramping up spending on digital infrastructure, with Reliance Industries and Adani Group focusing on data centers, energy, and artificial intelligence. Their plans point to a wider shift in the Indian industry toward building the infrastructure needed for AI domestically

Chinese consumer electronics and tech brands have made significant strides in quality and innovation over the past few years, yet trust remains a persistent challenge in Western markets. Ongoing geopolitical tensions and media framing have added further complexity to that dynamic

Lenovo Group is stepping up its AI infrastructure push. Lenovo chairman and CEO Yuanqing Yang said on May 28 at the 2026 World Intelligence Expo that the company will invest in Tianjin to build a next-generation AI computing product R&D and manufacturing center, with mass production planned for 2027, as Lenovo seeks a larger share of the AI infrastructure market

SK Hynix's Cheongju campus was hit by a fire on June 1, 2026, prompting the emergency evacuation of all 3,600 workers from the M15 and M15X plants. Seven people were taken to the hospital after hydrogen fluoride (HF) leaked in the incident, which came less than a week after a separate fire-related event at the site

After Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang wrapped up his "trillion-dollar banquet" for Taiwan AI supply-chain giants, GTC Taipei is set to become a highlight of Computex 2026. Nvidia will also host its first "South Korean partners night" in Taiwan

India is reportedly revising its smartphone incentive scheme to raise local value addition above 55%, a move that could reshape the country's electronics strategy. The shift reflects growing concern that the existing system has turned India into an assembly hub without building enough domestic manufacturing depth