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
LG Electronics is reportedly preparing to revive the initial public offering (IPO) of its Indian subsidiary, months after shelving the plan due to market volatility. According to South Korean Financial News, the company has resumed discussions with local investment banks, but the scale of the offering has been significantly reduced
China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) will release the fourth round of its consumer goods trade-in subsidy in October, allocating CNY68 billion (US$9.45 billion). This brings the total 2025 stimulus to CNY300 billion, completing the nationwide rollout of the year's trade-in initiative
Efficient Power Conversion (EPC), a company specializing in gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor technology, announced on August 6 that the Beijing Intellectual Property Court dismissed an appeal filed by Innoscience (Suzhou). The ruling reaffirmed the validity of EPC's Chinese patent ZL201080015425.X, related to the "Compensated gate MISFET and its manufacturing method," a key patent in enhancement-mode GaN field-effect transistors (FETs)
ASML, Lam Research, and KLA Corp. posted strong second-quarter 2025 earnings, reflecting solid demand across the semiconductor supply chain, fueled by growth in AI, high-bandwidth memory (HBM), and advanced packaging
Tokyo Electron has declined to comment on whether it is under investigation after Taiwanese prosecutors searched its local office in connection with a suspected leak of TSMC's 2nm technology. The Japanese chip equipment maker acknowledged the media reports but issued no further response amid growing scrutiny
China's leading GaN semiconductor firm, Innoscience, is at the center of a high-stakes global confrontation that intertwines geopolitics, patent disputes, and market strategy. In a single quarter, the company has experienced both triumphant breakthroughs and legal setbacks that could shape the future of the third-generation semiconductor race
China's People's Daily has issued a sharp warning over national security risks tied to Nvidia's H20 AI chip, following reports of possible backdoor vulnerabilities. The commentary was published after the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) summoned Nvidia for talks on July 31, 2025, over allegations that the chip could enable remote tracking and shutdown of devices — raising alarm over potential misuse across critical infrastructure
Amid tightening US export controls on EUV lithography systems and related technologies, China's chip equipment sector has made a breakthrough. On August 1, Pulin Technology (Hangzhou) shipped its first domestically developed semiconductor-grade step-and-repeat nanoimprint lithography (NIL) tool, the PL-SR series, to a customer focused on specialized chip manufacturing
During AMD's second-quarter 2025 earnings call, CEO Lisa Su and CFO Jean Hu provided updates on the ongoing US export control restrictions affecting the company's MI308 GPU shipments to China. The export license applications for MI308 remain under review by the US Department of Commerce, creating uncertainty around near-term sales in this important market
SK Hynix overtook Samsung Electronics in global memory chip revenue for the first time in the second quarter of 2025, powered by its strong foothold in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) technology
South Korean AI chip startup FuriosaAI has announced it has raised US$125 million in its Series C bridge round, making it one of the few deep tech companies in South Korea with a valuation exceeding KRW1 trillion (approx. US$720.1 million), thus qualifying it as a "unicorn". Its total funds raised have hit US$246 million
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
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
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
