Since January 2025, the open-source large language model (LLM) DeepSeek has sparked a surge of product launches across China's enterprise AI sector. Nearly 100 vendors—including server manufacturers, cloud service providers, software developers, and AI model firms—have introduced pre-integrated (aka 'all-in-one') AI appliances designed to run DeepSeek locally with minimal setup

Chinese automaker BYD plans to dominate the world's largest car market in 2025 by making smart driving technology accessible in vehicles below CNY100,000 (approx. US$13,780), triggering rivals Geely and Changan to accelerate similar offerings. Industry sources confirm China's advanced driver assistance systems currently max out at Level 2+, requiring constant driver attention despite marketing that suggests otherwise

A series of major advancements in humanoid robot technology in China and the US has reignited talk of imminent mass production

Chinese AI firm DeepSeek has quietly launched its latest large language model, V3, with no big announcement or white paper—just a simple upload to Hugging Face. The low-key release has nonetheless attracted widespread industry attention for one standout feature: it runs locally on Apple's consumer-grade hardware

Japanese semiconductor foundry Rapidus has signed an MoU with Singapore-based IC design contractor Quest Global to collaborate on the design and production of its upcoming 2nm chips. The partnership, announced on March 25, 2025, aims to leverage Quest's customer network while accelerating the development of power-efficient, general-purpose AI semiconductors

TCL China Star Optoelectronics Technology (TCL CSOT) is taking over LG Display's (LGD) LCD factory in Guangzhou, China, which may affect the LCD display driver IC (DDI) orders of South Korean IC design house LX Semicon

Goertek, a leading Chinese supplier of precision components and smart hardware, bucked the downturn in the global consumer electronics market with a strong 2024 earnings report. Annual revenue topped CNY100 billion (approx. US$13.8 billion) for the first time, while net profit soared nearly 145% year-over-year

Since returning to the White House, US President Trump has imposed a cumulative 20% tariff on imports from China. However, looking at the export volume of Chinese TV for January and February 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, there has been an unexpected increase rather than a decrease, with export value also showing slight growth. Facing these tariffs, how exactly are Chinese TV exports able to perform

Vietnam has cut tariffs on US imports while aiming for closer trade relations, responding to concerns over its trade surplus. This comes as the US prepares to impose reciprocal tariffs on trading partners with trade surpluses. Additionally, Vietnam has approved Starlink

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has released a new artificial intelligence model in its Qwen series that the company says can process text, pictures, audio and video, and is efficient enough to run directly on mobile phones and laptops

Lealea Group's subsidiary Mundus Smart Energy is set to capitalize on its Japanese energy storage investments by 2025. The company anticipates revealing strategic partnerships in Japan next quarter, along with new development projects and the completion of a 2MW high-voltage storage facility by year-end

The growth of AI data centers is expected to drive surging demand for capacitors used in servers, with the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) predicting in its latest report a fourfold increase in demand by 2029 compared to 2023 levels

Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has used tariff increases as a strategy, causing disruptions for manufacturing companies. Although the tariff hikes may not directly affect component manufacturers, some plan to slow expansion in Southeast Asia or consider other investment locations beyond Vietnam and Thailand, driven by policy uncertainty, costs, and customer demand

Infineon Technologies revealed a plan to set up a Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), Ahmedabad, marking the company's first such facility in the state and its second in India

A US-ASEAN Business Council delegation, including Apple, Abbott, and Boeing, recently visited Vietnam to strengthen cooperation and explore new business opportunities. During the visit, Apple sought the Vietnamese government's assistance in recruiting top engineering talent and announced plans to collaborate with the Ministry of Education to enhance local operations and foster innovation among Vietnamese students, reports The Investor