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

With the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) rapidly emerging as a beneficiary of the AI data center boom, the region's supply chain is experiencing both new opportunities and formidable challenges. Among the early trailblazers is Wiwynn, a leading Taiwanese AI server integrator, whose strategic expansion into Johor, Malaysia, has set a benchmark for the industry

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

The Indian government recently announced that Samsung Electronics will invest approximately US$110 million in its home appliance production line at the Sriperumbudur factory in Tamil Nadu, where worker strikes occurred in 2024

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

Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry, Gan Kim Yong, held a phone call with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on April 25, 2025 to address the critical issue of Singapore's access to advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips and semiconductors, as the United States implements new tariffs and tightens export controls

FIC Global, Inc. (FICG), a leading optical communication module provider, is accelerating its Southeast Asia expansion as momentum builds around the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). The company has announced plans to establish a new production base in Johor, Malaysia, to meet customer demands for diversified manufacturing locations and capitalize on the zone's first-mover benefits

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

Synopsys country manager for Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam, Adrian Ng, shared insights with DIGITIMES on the development of the IC design industry in Singapore and Malaysia

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