Chinese President Xi Jinping called for the creation of a global artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation organization during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Summit in Gyeongju, South Korea. He emphasized the importance of global AI governance and multilateral cooperation and announced that Shenzhen will host the 2026 APEC summit.

The recent meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping has eased tensions between the two countries, de-escalating rare earth export controls and soybean trade barriers. It remains uncertain whether Trump will come up with other threats when dealing with China. But for Taiwan, the speculation about the US sacrificing the island nation in return for better ties with China has not materialized. Neither has the US taken concrete steps to impose semiconductor tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. Taiwan's manufacturing sector may gain momentum over the next two months if geopolitical and economic conditions remain stable.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has activated its Rainier data center in Indiana, US, to accelerate the training of Anthropic's large language model (LLM), Claude, using Amazon's proprietary Trainium chips. The Rainier facility represents Amazon's largest investment in the state, backed by US$11 billion in funding.

Asia Optical announced its third-quarter 2025 financial results, reporting consolidated revenue of NT$7.15 billion (US$232.35 million), up 4% from the previous quarter and 5% year-over-year. Gross profit rose 14% quarter-over-quarter and 7% year-over-year to NT$1.57 billion, driven by sustained revenue growth that boosted gross margin. Operating income hit a new high for the period at NT$878 million, increasing 30% from the previous quarter and 16% year-over-year. Net profit attributable to the owners of the company reached NT$520 million.

India is preparing to nearly triple incentives for rare-earth magnet manufacturing to over INR70 billion (US$788 million) as part of efforts to reduce reliance on China. The move comes just days after Beijing agreed to relax export restrictions following the latest US-China trade deal, easing immediate supply pressures.

Production disruptions at Dutch power device maker Nexperia have drawn speculation about a supply chain shift where Taiwan-based makers may benefit. But Advanced Power Electronics (APEC) president CS Chang said it would be difficult for Taiwanese makers to penetrate Nexperia's automotive customer base.

The ASEAN summit concluded on October 28 with US President Donald Trump signing memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on critical minerals cooperation with Thailand and Malaysia. The agreements have raised concerns domestically in both countries, prompting official responses to clarify their implications.

After hosting GTC DC to discuss quantum computing, 6G, and autonomous driving, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang flew to South Korea to attend the APEC CEO Summit and meet with leading Korean tech companies. However, Huang has unexpectedly found himself in the political spotlight after US President Donald Trump namedropped him on Truth Social.

Backlight module leader Radiant Opto-Electronics has completed three acquisitions within two years, forming what Chairman Justin Wang calls an unprecedented team. With key technologies secured, the company plans to focus on integration and aims to begin mass production of meta-optic products by 2027.

Leading polarizer BenQ Materials is maintaining a cautious outlook for the display sector in the fourth quarter of 2025 and first half of 2026, due to a sluggish TV market and the impact of the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, according to Chairman Dr. ZC Chen during the company's latest earnings call.

South Korea's major corporate groups have significantly expanded their production assets in the US over the past eight years, overtaking China and Vietnam as the leading overseas manufacturing hub. Data from CEO Score, cited by CEO Score Daily and Newsis, shows the top ten conglomerates increased their combined overseas production assets from KRW209.2 trillion (US$146.27 billion) in 2016 to KRW490.7 trillion by the end of 2024.