US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call on September 19, a conversation Trump later called "very productive" and " very good ." The call has sparked cautious optimism that the world's two largest economies might be finding a new way to manage their intense technological rivalry

Japanese LED leader Nichia has promoted Taiwan-born executive Tsun-Chia Tai to senior managing director, a move effective October 1 that makes him the highest-ranking Taiwanese manager in the company's history

Memory chip prices surged across all categories in September after a weak August, with some products jumping more than 40% in a broad-based rally

Kioxia and its long-time partner SanDisk announced on September 30 that their new chip factory in northern Japan has officially begun operations, a strategic move to meet the surging global demand for memory fueled by artificial intelligence (AI)

Sharp plans to decide on transferring large-size LCD panel technology to India by the end of 2025, CEO Masahiro Okitsu said, signaling potential expansion of the country's display manufacturing capabilities

Samsung Electronics is overhauling its flagship smartphone camera supply chain for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, with South Korea's Mcnex taking over folded zoom (periscope) module supply from China's Sunny Optical. Industry watchers see the shift as a direct reaction to Sunny's ongoing quality issues, signaling Samsung's push to secure greater stability across its high-end imaging lineup

US sanctions are taking a toll on one of China's top chipmakers, Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC), as its share of the global NAND flash memory market has slipped below 5%

China has officially introduced its K-visa, a new immigration pathway aimed at attracting foreign STEM graduates, just as the US sharply raised H-1B visa fees to US$100,000 per applicant. The move, effective October 1, underscores Beijing's effort to draw global technology talent amid intensifying US-China competition in innovation and geopolitics

The global race in third-generation semiconductors is intensifying, with larger silicon carbide (SiC) wafers seen as critical to cutting costs and enhancing power device performance. While global leaders remain centered on 6-inch and 8-inch wafers, Chinese firms are rapidly advancing 12-inch SiC development to secure an early lead in the materials race

Samsung Electronics has reportedly appointed Rajesh Krishnan as the new head of Samsung Semiconductor India Research (SSIR), signaling a strategic push to strengthen local R&D leadership while accelerating its expansion in the Indian semiconductor market, according to The Seoul Economy Daily

SK Telecom (SKT) has established an internal independent company, AI CIC, to consolidate and expand its AI business, accelerating AI innovation. The company plans to invest KRW5 trillion (US$3.5 billion) over the next five years, aiming for AI revenue of KRW5 trillion by 2030

Baidu's Apollo Go robotaxi service, gaining traction in China, is fast-tracking expansion abroad with Southeast Asia and Australia as its next targets. Halton Niu, GM of Overseas Business at Baidu's Intelligent Driving Group, said the company is in talks with governments in Southeast Asia and Australia to explore pilots and service launches. Baidu is also in discussions with regulators in the Middle East and Europe. In Dubai, Apollo Go has already obtained 50 autonomous test permits, expanding its fleet to 100 vehicles

Huawei is set to expand Ascend AI chip output, seizing on Nvidia's shrinking position in China as US export curbs and Beijing's security mandates squeeze the American company's market access. According to Bloomberg, Huawei plans to produce about 600,000 Ascend 910C chips in 2026 — more than twice its 2025 volume — with total Ascend output climbing to 1.6 million dies, a sign that Huawei and partner SMIC are alleviating capacity constraints

BOE Technology, a major Apple display panel supplier, has established a wholly owned subsidiary to expand into robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) software. Sina and ICsmart, citing Qichacha data, reported that BOE's new subsidiary, Beijing BOE Robot, was registered with CNY200 million (approx. US$28 million) in capital to focus on industrial robots and AI software. The company has already assembled a specialized robotics team to drive research, development, and manufacturing