Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong was recently joined by senior executives from the company's semiconductor and display departments on a rare visit to China. Industry analysts in South Korea say the joint trip is highly unusual and likely points to a strategic pivot in Samsung Group's China operations

Rapidus, a Japanese company focused on semiconductor innovation, officially opened its first facility, IIM-1, in Chitose City, Hokkaido, on April 1, 2025. Aiming to advance in the production of next-generation semiconductors, the company has commenced operations on a trial production line dedicated to 2nm chips

Hanmi Semiconductor has increased the price of its thermal compression bonder (TC Bonder; TCB), a critical piece of equipment for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) production, by 25% starting April 1. This marks the company's first price hike for TCB equipment, according to reports from South Korean media outlets ET News and Money Today

China's electronic product trade-in initiative is driving stronger electronics sales in the first half of 2025, with the smartphone sector showing particular strength. Industry sources report that Chinese smartphone sales are growing compared to the same period in 2024, with flagship models capturing an increased market share

Among China's six Hangzhou start-ups, Unitree Robotics is one of the standout players. Founded in 2016, Unitree has been consistently profitable since 2020, achieving steady growth year after year. How has Xingxing Wang, a Chinese entrepreneur and founder of Unitree, managed to achieve such remarkable success

In a remarkable power shift over the past decade, Xiaomi has transformed from an industry underdog to a dominant force. While CEO Lei Jun once waited hours to secure Samsung display panels, Samsung's chairman now visits Xiaomi's electric vehicle (EV) factory. Similarly, Xiaomi has surpassed Chinese home appliance giant Gree in revenue and market value, with its ecosystem strategy proving superior to Gree's single-product focus in today's digital economy

LG Innotek is expanding its focus beyond camera module manufacturing and is preparing to venture into the field of next-generation glass substrates. The company has revealed its intention to produce sample glass substrates by the end of 2025, with plans to potentially commercialize these products by 2027

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong recently made a high-profile visit to China, meeting with leading Chinese automaker executives and President Xi Jinping. South Korean analysts suggest the trip was more than diplomatic optics—it reflects Samsung's bid to capitalize on China's surging artificial intelligence (AI) demand and revive its faltering semiconductor division

Zhipu AI, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup, introduced its open-source AI agent AutoGLM at the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum. Designed to bridge advanced reasoning with task execution, AutoGLM will be supported by proprietary large language models (LLMs) that are set to open-source on April 14

On April 1, UMC announced the opening ceremony for its expanded facility in Singapore. The first phase of this new plant is scheduled to commence production in 2026, which is expected to increase the total capacity of UMC's Singapore Fab 12i to over one million 12-inch wafers annually

On April 1, Rapidus inaugurated its first semiconductor fabrication facility, IIM-1, in Chitose City, Hokkaido, marking a pivotal step in Japan's leap from 40nm technology to the cutting-edge 2nm process. Rapidus is spearheading Japan's ambition to restore its semiconductor manufacturing autonomy. The consortium includes elite talent from Renesas, Tokyo Electron (TEL), and international firms like United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), ensuring technological advancements and yield rates align with expectations

LCD TV panel prices are losing steam following a brief rally that began in late 2024, initially fueled by front-loaded orders. Rising inflation concerns and renewed tariff threats from US President Donald Trump are dampening global trade confidence, prompting consumers to pull back. At the same time, China's trade-in policy is losing momentum, softening demand. As a result, both panel makers and TV brands are slowing their purchasing pace

Chinese AI startup Butterfly Effect has rolled out a subscription service for its Manus AI agent just weeks after launching its preview version, with its top-tier Manus Pro plan priced to compete directly with OpenAI's ChatGPT Pro at US$199 per month

Acer Group will showcase its VeriSee AI ophthalmic screening software at the Malaysia Ophthalmology Conference from April 25-27, 2025, targeting the Southeast Asian healthcare market where diabetes rates are among the region's highest