Nvidia has halted production of artificial intelligence (AI) chips intended for the Chinese market and redirected manufacturing capacity at TSMC to its next-generation Vera Rubin platform, as regulatory barriers in both the US and China continue to cloud prospects for sales to Chinese customers, the Financial Times reported.

As conflict in the Middle East intensifies and geopolitical risks rise, governments worldwide are paying closer attention to the resilience of defense supply chains and semiconductor self-sufficiency. Against this backdrop, and as China convenes its annual "Two Sessions," an article jointly authored by several Chinese academicians and published in the state-backed journal Science & Technology Review has drawn attention.

Apple's newly introduced MacBook Neo, a low-cost laptop priced from US$599, uses the A18 Pro chip instead of the newer A19 Pro, according to a report from Wccftech, which attributed the decision partly to supply constraints affecting advanced semiconductor manufacturing nodes.

Japanese auto parts supplier Denso has made a takeover proposal for Kyoto-based chipmaker Rohm in a deal that could reach about JPY1.3 trillion (approx. US$8.3 billion), according to reports from Nikkei and Reuters.

China's semiconductor industry leaders are calling for a nationwide effort to develop a domestic equivalent of ASML within five years, saying the country must move beyond fragmented development and build a more integrated industry capable of competing with global leaders.

The semiconductor industry had widely expected Samsung's Taylor fab to begin large-scale production before the end of 2026. However, the latest industry information obtained by The JoongAng suggests there may be discrepancies between expectations and the actual situation, prompting renewed attention to whether the project's progress is encountering new variables.