In the high-stakes arena of silicon carbide (SiC) innovation, a quiet transformation is underway. While much attention has focused on non-Chinese supply chains entering advanced packaging with 12-inch SiC wafers, a new frontier has emerged: a Chinese startup has reportedly broken into Meta's AI glasses supply chain with its 12-inch SiC wafer technology

China's new K-visa program, designed to attract foreign STEM professionals, has triggered domestic backlash amid soaring youth unemployment. Critics argue the policy, which allows overseas talent to work in China without employer sponsorship, risks sidelining local graduates struggling to find jobs in an already challenging labor market, according to Yonhap News and Sing Tao

Samsung Electronics is set to release a new high-end foldable smartphone designed specifically for the Chinese market, aiming to break into China's price-competitive smartphone landscape by focusing instead on flagship devices

Hotai Motor unveiled the Toyota Corolla Cross GR Sport and Corolla Altis GR Sport on October 7, aiming to boost year-end sales by appealing to a younger demographic with sporty designs, improved handling, and suggested retail prices of under NT$1 million (approx. US$32,800) for both models

As electric vehicle (EV) adoption surges and global attention on ESG and renewable energy deepens, battery reuse and recycling have become pivotal to the waste battery circular economy. South Korea's eNDIVe is standing out with a dual-track strategy that combines both reuse and recycling, positioning the company for steady long-term growth despite current economic headwinds

The global rare earth market has long been dominated by China, encompassing everything from ore extraction to separation and refining, and even magnet manufacturing. Although the US possesses rare earth resources, high costs, strict environmental regulations, and China's low-price supply led the US to virtually exit the industry after the 1990s, becoming reliant on imports from China

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is fueling a new semiconductor supercycle, prompting Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to ramp up recruitment efforts in a bid to secure leadership in next-generation technologies

China is enhancing its DUV lithography technology amid US export restrictions. Yuliangsheng's 28nm immersion DUV machine is being tested at SMIC, while SMEE has patented a method to improve chip pattern quality

Chinese NAND Flash giant Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp. (YMTC) is preparing to enter the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market and is anticipating a technological breakthrough. As more Chinese companies attempt to enter the HBM space, traditionally dominated by SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics, and Micron, global memory dynamics may shift

On October 2, Meta announced the acquisition of US-based IC design company Rivos, which develops high-performance computing chips and solutions based on the RISC-V architecture. Interestingly, at the beginning of 2025, Meta also set its sights on South Korean chip startup FuriosaAI, a company gaining attention for its unique Tensor Contraction Processor (TCP) chip architecture and dedicated to enhancing AI performance through the efficiency of TCP design

The launch for the next-generation optical communication infrastructure, IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network), led by Japanese telecom group NTT, is scheduled for 2026. The production system for core equipment will involve US semiconductor company Broadcom, Japanese IC substrate manufacturer Shinko Electric Industries, and Taiwan-based Accton

Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional has denied reports that it is in talks with a Chinese state-owned firm to build a rare earth processing plant, after Reuters cited sources claiming Beijing was prepared to share its restricted refining technology in exchange for access to Malaysia's mineral reserves

Japan will expand export controls to cover general-purpose machine tools, integrated circuits, drones, radar, navigation, and testing equipment, requiring companies to verify potential military use. The new rules, effective October 9, 2025, broaden oversight beyond UN arms embargo countries to most global destinations, including China and Southeast Asia

Semiconductor intelligence firm TechInsights has concluded, following a teardown of Huawei Technologies' Ascend 910C chip, that some of the components still come from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Samsung Electronics, and SK Hynix. The analysis showed that the chip die for the Ascend 910C was produced by TSMC and used high-bandwidth memory 2 enhanced (HBM2E) supplied by Samsung and SK Hynix