Alibaba has entered China's rapidly evolving smart eyewear market with the unveiling of its in-house Quark AI glasses at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC). As reported by Chinastarmarket.cn, Yicai, and 21st Century Business Herald, the device has completed development and is slated for commercial release by year-end

The United States has restarted global negotiations on reciprocal tariffs, offering key concessions to major auto-exporting nations—including the European Union, Japan, and South Korea. As part of the revised framework, the US has reduced import tariffs on vehicles and auto parts from 25% to 15%, prompting a mix of relief and recalibration among global automakers

China's electronics manufacturing sector has surged over the past decade, driven by the Made in China 2025 (MIC2025) initiative and strong demand from global brands like Apple and Tesla. Domestic contract manufacturers, including Luxshare Precision, Lingyi iTech, and Lens Technology, have increasingly captured business once dominated by Taiwanese firms. Luxshare's rise, led by chairwoman and co-founder Wang Laichun, often called "the female Terry Gou," embodies China's transformation from basic assembly operations to full-system, high-value manufacturing

As US–China tech tensions deepen, a senior US official said the Trump Administration is pushing to embed advanced tracking features into semiconductors to prevent Nvidia and other US-made chips from being diverted to China

Shipments from Tesla Inc.'s Shanghai factory slipped back into decline on intense competition in China and global trade uncertainties

Taiwan's IC OSAT supply chain was previously expected to benefit from US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) restrictions on Chinese semiconductor firms. The BIS's semiconductor whitelist, which excluded major Chinese OSATs such as JCET and Tongfu Microelectronics, had opened the door for Chinese IC design firms to shift orders to whitelisted vendors, with Taiwanese firms listed and poised to gain

On August 4, 2025, Sanan Optoelectronics partnered with Malaysia's Inari Amertron Berhad to acquire Dutch LED company Lumileds for US$239 million, expanding Sanan's presence in the high-end LED market

SK Innovation Co.'s battery unit plans to accelerate development of cutting-edge technologies in partnership with US and European carmakers, its R&D chief said, aiming to win back market share from peers in China and South Korea

Global competition is intensifying over rare and critical mineral resources. South Korea's relatively slower progress in comparison to the US, Japan, and China has raised concerns across academia and various industries. To mitigate raw material disruptions and geopolitical risks, technological independence, diversified supply chains, and strategic stockpiling policies are becoming urgent priorities

Xiaomi has launched a 7-billion-parameter version of its open-source voice model, MiDashengLM, which incorporates Alibaba's open-source Qwen 2.5 series. This model focuses on in-car systems and smart home devices, enhancing Xiaomi's AI strategy and expanding its reach in voice application markets

Japanese optical giant Canon, which had not built a new semiconductor lithography equipment production plant since 2004 due to a declining market, announced on July 30, 2025, the completion of a new semiconductor lithography equipment factory at its Utsunomiya optical products plant. The facility is expected to begin operations in September

In a milestone move signaling the transition of South Korea's space ambitions from government-led development to commercial enterprise, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) has officially signed a technology transfer agreement with Hanwha Aerospace, granting the company rights to manufacture and launch the nation's first domestically developed space launch vehicle, the KSLV-II Nuri rocket

Samsung Electronics' foundry production lines for process nodes above 4nm have recently achieved their highest utilization rates, according to South Korean media outlet ChosunBiz, citing industry insiders

Facing dual pressures from international instability and slowing growth in its main markets, South Korea's collaborative robot giant Doosan Robotics is actively undergoing a strategic transformation. Despite widening losses, the company has aggressively acquired US robotics solutions provider Onexia to drive growth through global expansion and technological upgrades