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Jul 14, 10:35
Weekly news roundup: China’s semiconductor setback, MediaTek gains on Qualcomm, and ongoing US-China chip tensions

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from July 7 to July 13, 2025. This week's top three highlights include China’s semiconductor ambitions facing setbacks as Jiangsu Advanced Memory Semiconductor cancels its restructuring amid investment delays. Meanwhile, MediaTek gains ground on Qualcomm in China’s premium smartphone market, signaling a notable industry shift. The US-China semiconductor standoff shows signs of tactical maneuvering, with both sides testing political and economic limits.

Sino-American Silicon Products Group (SAS) said that international solar cell demand is picking up steam even as Taiwan's domestic market struggles with project delays over the past two years.
Taiwan's Seetel, a lithium battery and energy storage manufacturer, said Tuesday it formed a strategic alliance with Canadian energy storage solutions provider Energy Plug to expand into global markets.
US President Donald Trump's plans to place hefty import tariffs on copper have already caused a spike in costs for American factories, with New York futures trading 25% higher than other global benchmarks on July 8.

Groq, the US-based AI chipmaker, has launched its first European data center in Helsinki, accelerating its global expansion and tapping into the rising demand for sovereign AI infrastructure. Developed in partnership with Equinix, the facility will host Groq's proprietary Language Processing Units (LPUs), engineered for fast deployment and cost-efficient AI inference at scale.

General Electric's power unit GE Vernova said a new 1.3-gigawatt gas-fired unit at Taiwan Power Co.'s Hsingta plant began commercial operations, marking a shift away from coal generation on the island.
Taiwanese clean energy firm Shinfox Energy has signed a joint development agreement (JDA) with ComClark Network and Technology Corporation, the parent company of Filipino telecom Converge ICT Solutions Inc., aiming to combine their strengths in their respective fields to advance the development of renewable energy, smart grids, and clean energy infrastructure in the Philippines.
HD Renewable Energy's Star Exchange unveiled its "Power Bank" platform this month, integrating AI trading technology to bring financial market mechanisms to electricity services across Taiwan, Japan, and Australia. The company plans a public listing by 2027.
Taiwan's semiconductor companies are caught between soaring electricity costs and urgent renewable energy demands, creating a supply-demand mismatch that's driving green power prices higher and benefiting utility investors.
The Trump administration's policies are expected to seriously undermine renewable energy supply and demand in the short term, while its moves to block Chinese solar firms with US plants are unlikely to have much effect, as the Chinese firms have been filing patent lawsuits in the US against their competitors to impede their operation.
Energy AIoT startup Thingnario is positioning Taiwan to capitalize on surging electricity demand from generative AI while meeting net-zero targets, bringing together industry and government officials to discuss AI-driven energy transformation.
China launched a "de-involution" campaign targeting solar, energy storage, and electric vehicle sectors since mid-March following the Two Sessions, focusing on industries hit by US trade restrictions under the Inflation Reduction Act.