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Wednesday 17 September 2025
Qualcomm dominates physical AI with robot and automotive chips
Robots and self-driving cars are driving the emergence of "physical AI," a new era of on-device processing that's shifting focus away from cloud-based large language models. According to South Korean startup Maum AI, this trend is creating new demands for semiconductors
Wednesday 17 September 2025
China's TI anti-dumping probe likely more symbolic than punitive
China is reportedly probing whether US-made analog chips are being dumped into its market, a move widely seen as targeting Texas Instruments (TI), the dominant US supplier of analog semiconductors
Wednesday 17 September 2025
China's Big Fund Phase III opens with Piotech Jianke investment in hybrid bonding technology
Chinese chip equipment maker Piotech said on September 12 its unit Piotech Jianke (Haining) Semiconductor Equipment has kicked off a new funding round at a CNY2.5 billion (approx. US$350 million) pre-investment valuation, seeking to raise as much as CNY1.04 billion. The deal drew in China's Big Fund Phase III, marking the state-backed vehicle's first publicly disclosed investment since its launch
Wednesday 17 September 2025
China opens anti-dumping probe into US chipmakers amid tariff tensions

China's Ministry of Commerce has announced a sweeping anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation into certain analog ICs imported from the US, in a move widely seen as both a retaliatory response to recent US tariff extensions and a strategic effort to bolster its domestic chip industry

Wednesday 17 September 2025
Xiaomi 17 smartphone to launch in September 2025 with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Weibing Lu, partner and president of Xiaomi as well as president of the Smartphone Department, announced on September 15, 2025, that the new flagship Xiaomi 17 series will be unveiled in September. It will become the world's first smartphone equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 computing platform
Wednesday 17 September 2025
Taiwan's IC design industry risks losing No.2 spot to China; government unveils '4H' strategy
Taiwan's integrated circuit (IC) design industry ranks second worldwide, trailing only the US. However, in recent years, Taiwan's position has become increasingly precarious due to rapid advancements by China. The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) believes that focusing on two main pillars—advanced chip breakthrough technologies and heterogeneous integration industry drive—while concentrating on key R&D of high-computing power, high-power, high-frequency, and high-energy-efficiency (4H) chips could help Taiwan maintain a lead over China for approximately five more years
Wednesday 17 September 2025
Puya Semiconductor's SkyHigh deal to cement China's indigenous NAND advantage
Puya Semiconductor (Shanghai) announced on September 15, 2025, that it will acquire a controlling stake in Zhuhai Noah Changtian Storage Technology through a cash deal, giving it indirect ownership of SkyHigh Memory (SHM). The planned acquisition expands Puya's non-volatile memory portfolio by adding 2D NAND and derivative products to its established NOR flash, EEPROM, and MCU businesses, creating a more complete product lineup
Wednesday 17 September 2025
Navitas grows beyond chargers with solar, motor drives, and AI power supplies
At SEMI-e 2025 in Shenzhen, Navitas Semiconductor outlined its push beyond consumer chargers, highlighting its progress in solar inverters, energy infrastructure in and AI data centers
Tuesday 16 September 2025
China's smart glasses market heats up as waveguide tech takes lead

If China is the primary battleground for smart glasses, the China International Optoelectronic Exposition (CIOE) is the front line. Leading manufacturers such as GoerTek, Sunny Optical, and Luxshare Precision were joined by a growing number of mid- and low-tier competitors, signaling a rapidly intensifying race in both hardware and optics, especially in the critical field of optical waveguide technology

Tuesday 16 September 2025
Loongson's first GPU 9A1000 nears tape-out, deliveries slated for 3Q25
Loongson Technology said it has completed development of its first in-house GPU, the 9A1000, which is moving into tape-out testing. Pending successful results, shipments to customers could start as early as the third quarter of 2025
Tuesday 16 September 2025
Zolix navigates Chinese market oversupply with global expansion
Zolix, a major Chinese supplier of precision optical instruments and mechanical control technologies, is expanding its domestic and international presence despite macroeconomic challenges, including tariffs. The company has established branches in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, and Xi'an, while also maintaining distributors in France, Poland, and South Korea
Tuesday 16 September 2025
Intel China chairmanship changes hands: Wang Rui retires, Wang Zhicong takes over
Intel announced on September 16, 2025, that Dr. Wang Rui, chair of Intel China with more than 30 years at the company, will retire this month. The leadership transition has been underway since February 2025, when Wang Zhicong was named vice chairman to prepare for succession
Tuesday 16 September 2025
China's Hesai lands US$40M robotaxi order in the US despite tension
Chinese lidar manufacturer Hesai Technology announced on September 15, 2025, that it has deepened cooperation with a leading US robotaxi company by signing a lidar order exceeding US$40 million. Hesai will exclusively supply lidar sensors to this autonomous driving firm, with deliveries scheduled for completion by the end of 2026
Tuesday 16 September 2025
Xiaomi's China marketing head dismissed for leaking secrets
On the evening of September 8, 2025, Xiaomi issued an internal notice that abruptly ended Wang Teng's rapid nine-year rise within the company. The under-40 executive, who had served as general manager of Xiaomi's China marketing division, was officially terminated for "leaking confidential company information" and "conflicts of interest.
Tuesday 16 September 2025
From FPGA to AI: Fudan Microelectronics confronts US FN4 blacklist head-on
Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics Group (FMSH), one of China's major IC design companies, has been placed on the US Commerce Department's Entity List with the strict Footnote 4 (FN4) designation. The label requires licenses for all US export-controlled technologies supplied to FMSH, with approvals almost certain to be denied. The FN4 status effectively blocks the company's access to critical chip design tools and manufacturing services, cutting off its development pipeline