Taiwan's electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers are accelerating their North American production plans in response to tariff threats, but component shortages and capacity constraints at US chip plants could hamper the AI server market for years, according to industry sources

As tariff negotiations between the US and Japan intensify, Washington has turned a critical eye toward Japan's electric vehicle (EV) charging standards, identifying the country's CHAdeMO protocol as a significant non-tariff barrier. American officials have voiced frustration that Tesla's and other US automakers' charging systems are excluded from Japanese government subsidies, a point expected to take center stage in the upcoming second round of ministerial-level trade talks

President Donald Trump's renewed tariff policies have pushed US-China trade tensions to an all-time high. As a result, global supply chains are scrambling to speed up production line relocations, coming face to face with logistical hurdles and China's tightened export controls in its process. The global push for regional manufacturing is reshaping supply chain strategies, however, uncertainties and equipment sourcing challenges further complicate the transition

As China's homegrown AI models, such as DeepSeek, expand into manufacturing, healthcare, education, and infrastructure, particularly power supply, has become crucial for sustaining large-scale AI deployments

Nissan reportedly plans to close its Wuhan plant in China, reflecting Japanese car brands' rapid decline in the Chinese automobile market. However, the automotive supply chain still favors Japanese brands because of the higher gross profit margins associated with their orders, according to industry sources

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. took the wraps off a new version of its flagship Qwen AI model, sustaining the breakneck pace of development that's characterized China's artificial intelligence sphere in the wake of DeepSeek

Xiaomi is expected to launch its in-house smartphone SoC in 2025, with the latest reports pointing to a potential debut in late May. According to Wccftech, the Chinese tech blog "Fixed focus digital" reported on Weibo that Xiaomi's internally codenamed "Xring" chip—officially named "Xuanjie"—is tentatively set for release around May 2X, though the timeline remains subject to change

In early April, US President Donald Trump floated the idea of reciprocal tariffs, ramping up import duties on Chinese goods to as high as 125%. Yet on April 23, he reversed course, stating that current tariffs on Chinese imports are too high and promising to significantly lower them, adding that he would pursue "friendly" dialogue with Beijing

Hesai Technology, the leading LiDAR manufacturer in China, is planning a fourfold increase in its production capacity by 2025 to address the rapidly growing demand for automotive advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS)

At Auto Shanghai 2025, Shenzhen Longsys Electronics Co. unveiled its full range of automotive-grade memory solutions, including two new in-house products: the eMMC Full-chip Custom Edition and a next-gen LPDDR4x, underscoring its growing presence in intelligent vehicles

Baidu unveiled major upgrades to its artificial intelligence models at the Baidu Create 2025 AI Developer Conference on April 25, pairing technical improvements with sweeping price cuts. Yet it was CEO Robin Li's critique of rival DeepSeek that captured the spotlight, exposing the intensifying rivalry shaping China's AI landscape

Wingtech Technology announced its 2024 full-year and 2025 first-quarter results on April 25, underscoring an accelerated shift toward its semiconductor business. Wingtech posted 2024 revenue of CNY73.598 billion (US$10.1 billion), up 20.23% compared to the previous year, while swinging to a net loss of CNY2.833 billion due to impairments tied to its product integration (ODM) business after being added to the US Entity List

Applied Materials, Lam Research, and KLA each generated 31.3%, 31%, and 36% of their revenue from China in 2024, according to recent filings. As mature-node wafer fab capacity expands, China has overtaken the US as the largest market

China's CATL, the world's largest battery manufacturer, has unveiled a next-generation sodium-ion battery—nicknamed the "salt battery"—sending shockwaves through South Korea's battery sector

Samsung Electronics reportedly submitted a statement to the US Department of Commerce (DOC), warning that American sanctions targeting China's advanced technology could lead to "unintended consequences" and hinder innovation