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Thursday 11 December 2025
China's auto sector faces major reshuffling as subsidies end and sales slump
Passenger vehicle retail sales in China declined by 8% year-over-year in November 2025, the largest drop in nearly a year and the first negative growth period since 2023, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). This downturn signals early signs of a significant industry reshuffle triggered by the withdrawal of longstanding subsidy programs
Thursday 11 December 2025
Nvidia says no concrete evidence yet in alleged DeepSeek GPU smuggling case
Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek is under scrutiny for allegedly circumventing US export restrictions by illegally acquiring thousands of Nvidia's Blackwell architecture GPUs. Nvidia acknowledged the situation but said it had no concrete evidence and would investigate all available leads
Thursday 11 December 2025
China's polysilicon glut triggers US-backed supply chain realignment

China's dominance of the global polysilicon market is forcing the industry into two divergent paths: domestic consolidation to manage a swelling glut, and US-backed overseas production to diversify supply chains. The trend highlights a deepening geopolitical divide over a material essential to both solar manufacturing and high-purity semiconductor applications

Thursday 11 December 2025
ZTE hit by US foreign bribery probe with fines exceeding US$1bn
Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp. is again under regulatory scrutiny, as the US Department of Justice (DOJ) investigates alleged foreign bribery that could lead to more than US$1 billion in fines, Reuters reported. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) probe covers ZTE's activities in Latin America and other regions, raising the risk of fresh penalties and the possible reinstatement of export restrictions if talks fail
Thursday 11 December 2025
UiPath highlights Taiwan's competitiveness in Asia-Pacific AI agent surge
Asia-Pacific enterprises are rapidly advancing AI adoption, with investments expected to grow from nearly US$90 billion in 2025 to US$176 billion by 2028, primarily focused on building agentic AI systems. On December 9, UiPath outlined six key AI agent development trends for 2026 in Taiwan, emphasizing the country's leadership in the manufacturing and finance sectors as a model for global AI governance, deployment, and advancement
Thursday 11 December 2025
US eases H200 curbs, but China may no longer need the chip, says DIGITIMES analyst
In the latest episode of Tech Insights, DIGITIMES analyst Luke Lin argues that Washington's decision to lift export restrictions on Nvidia's H200 accelerator to China signals a shift toward managing dependency rather than forcing decoupling. Yet he stresses an overlooked reality: China may no longer feel compelled to buy the H200 at all
Thursday 11 December 2025
China's steel engine loses steam, rewrites the iron ore trade map

China's slowdown, marked by weak consumption, a deep property slump, deflationary pressure, and softer investment, is weighing on steel production. The IMF expects GDP growth to ease to 4.8% in 2025 and 4.2% in 2026. With domestic ore mining falling, steelmakers are turning to cheaper imported low-grade ore that requires higher volumes to produce equivalent output. Taiwanese dry-bulk carriers say this substitution is lifting tonne-mile demand

Thursday 11 December 2025
South Korea targets new fabs, HBM leadership, fabless revamp in US$468bn chip push
South Korea has unveiled an expansive semiconductor strategy to secure its lead in next-generation memory and revive weaker segments such as logic chips and the domestic fabless sector. President Lee Jae-myung chaired a high-level government meeting with Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and policymakers, underscoring the urgency of reinforcing national competitiveness as global demand for AI semiconductors surges
Thursday 11 December 2025
China weighs Nvidia's H200 amid US export shift and supply constraints
The US government's decision to allow Nvidia to export its H200 AI chips to China has reopened a major channel for American semiconductor revenue, but whether Beijing will embrace the opportunity remains uncertain. In December 2025, President Donald Trump announced that the US would approve sales of Nvidia's H200 to select Chinese customers under a strict licensing system, with a 25% revenue levy imposed on transactions
Thursday 11 December 2025
Wingtech seeks talks with Nexperia custodians as governance standoff deepens
Wingtech Technology has invited the court-appointed custodians of Nexperia for talks, marking the latest move in a protracted governance battle that has disrupted semiconductor supplies to global automakers
Thursday 11 December 2025
Samsung's Trifold phone launch in China to challenge Huawei dominance
Samsung Electronics is set to introduce its triple-fold Galaxy Z TriFold in China, aiming to capture a larger share of the premium foldable phone market despite currently holding about 2% market share in the country. The move targets high-end consumers willing to pay above CNY20,000 (US$2,827.89)
Thursday 11 December 2025
China's tech push reshapes Taiwan's auto supply chain
The global automotive supply chain is experiencing significant restructuring as the divide between China and other major economies widens. China's intensified efforts to achieve full self-sufficiency in both hardware and software for automotive technology are imposing a new technological barrier that challenges Taiwan's position, particularly in integrated circuit (IC) chip and smart algorithm supply
Thursday 11 December 2025
Commentary: China's PCB edge survives G2 decoupling
As the US–China tech confrontation drags on, discussions consistently return to chips, semiconductors, rare earths, and tariffs. Despite accelerating supply-chain decoupling and overseas clients pushing for "Out-of-China" capacity, China remains the world's largest PCB manufacturing base and has fully captured both the volume and value gains from the AI server cycle. The country continues to demonstrate cost and efficiency advantages over production in Taiwan and Southeast Asia
Thursday 11 December 2025
Commentary: China's tech M&A unravels from EDA to compute
China's tech capital markets have slipped into a drawn-out, messy stretch, with multiple high-profile mergers either collapsing or failing to advance beyond early talks
Thursday 11 December 2025
SK Hynix reaps largest benefits from H200 export approval
US President Donald Trump has allowed Nvidia's H200 chips to be exported to China, benefiting Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. iNews24 and IT Chosun reported that with the high likelihood that Chinese AI companies will see increased chip demand, the US easing of restrictions is expected to boost H200 shipments. SK Hynix is reportedly the primary supplier of the fifth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM3E) used in the H200, meaning its supply volume will inevitably rise, making it the biggest beneficiary