Topic

Semiconductorsi

Semiconductors are the cornerstone technology of the information age. These tiny electronic devices, usually smaller than a postage stamp, power the modern economy by acting as data-processing brains for products, from smartphones to cars and spacecraft.

Advertisement
  • Xpeng said local solutions for car chips have emerged despite not being as advanced as imports, but it would keep its options open with domestic suppliers
  • As of June last year, Nvidia – which is not allowed to ship its advanced AI chips to China – had about a 52 per cent share of the global navigate-on-autopilot market

China’s status as a ‘near-peer competitor’ is driving efforts to limit access to key technologies such as semiconductors and counter its global influence.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement

TSMC, a key supplier to Nvidia and Apple, says a new chip-manufacturing technology called ‘A16’ will enter production in the second half of 2026.

Taiwan’s exports to the US in the first quarter beat shipments sent to mainland China, with analysts pointing to a ‘strategic plan’ by Washington to construct and lead a world supply chain and market order.

videocam

Stunted economic growth on mainland and Sino-American political challenges weighed on 2023 decline led by agricultural and semiconductor shipments.

videocam

Among the buyers were the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Shandong Artificial Intelligence Institute, the Hubei Earthquake Administration and a state-run aviation research centre.

videocam

Malaysia plans to build Southeast Asia’s largest integrated circuit design park that is part of its efforts to move beyond chip assembly and into high-value work

Lenovo has been strengthening its focus on AI amid a broader trend in the global PC industry to integrate the fast-developing technology into various products and services.

Dutch intelligence agencies first publicly attributed cyber espionage to China in February, when they said state-backed cyber spies had gained access to a Dutch military network last year.

videocam

Huawei announced on Thursday its highly anticipated new smartphone series, the Pura 70, its biggest flagship handset launch since the Mate 60 Pro, which drew scrutiny for its home-made advanced chip.

TSMC, the dominant producer of advanced chips used in artificial intelligence applications, is expected to report a 5 per cent rise in first-quarter profit on Thursday thanks to strong demand.

Micron Technology, the largest US maker of memory chips, is poised to get US$6.1 billion in government grants to help pay for domestic factories, part of an effort to bring semiconductor production back to American soil.

As well as programmes in industry and education, local governments are encouraged to provide perks, including incentives in housing, start-up investment and schooling and jobs for the family of digital workers.

videocam

The company’s latest AI push could fuel further debate on whether China can continue relying on open-source development, instead of bolstering its own tech ecosystem.

videocam

Innovation is increasingly coming under the spotlight amid Beijing’s push for tech self-reliance, but criticisms persist that quantity is being emphasised over quality in the pursuit of patents.