BEIJING/TOKYO -- Over the course of nine days, China's biggest annual political show has provided glimpses into the Communist Party leadership's thinking on a range of matters, from relations with the U.S. and the war in Iran to economic pressures, high-tech aspirations, military power and domestic security.
PC price hikes and a test for Taiwan
Hi everyone! This is Cheng Ting-Fang, your #techAsia host for this week, waving hello from Taipei.
We are living through an inflationary era for almost everything, be it consumer electronics or real estate, and supply chain bottlenecks have become one of the biggest headaches for industries ranging from AI chips to petrochemicals, the building blocks of a long list of electronics materials.
The causes are piling up: AI demand has been squeezing just about every corner of the tech supply chain for months, pushing up prices of
Japan's Rohm and Toshiba mull integrating power semiconductor businesses
TOKYO -- Rohm and Toshiba are in talks to integrate their power semiconductor businesses, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Indonesian pesticide prices to rise by up to 30% on Iran war disruption
JAKARTA -- Pesticide producers in Indonesia plan to increase prices by between 20% and 30% following the outbreak of the Iran war that has disrupted the supply of key raw materials, according to the sector's main trade association.
Nissan, Uber and UK startup to test Tokyo robotaxis in late 2026
TOKYO -- Nissan Motor, Uber Technologies and UK startup Wayve announced a partnership on Thursday to put robotaxis on the streets of Japan's capital later this year, in competition with other self-driving ventures from global players.
Japan's Honda warns massive EV writedown will put carmaker in red
TOKYO -- Honda Motor announced on Thursday that it was cancelling some of its electric vehicle model launches planned for North America and expected total expenses and losses of 2.5 trillion yen ($15.7 billion) as it reassesses its electrification strategy.
Hong Kong authorities raid brokers, hedge fund in bribery probe
HONG KONG -- Officers from Hong Kong's securities watchdog and anti-corruption unit have raided three companies for suspected insider trading and corruption in one of the Asian financial hub's largest financial probes in recent years, one that comes amid a stock listing boom.
Iran war fallout hits Indian exports, shuts plants and restaurants
BENGALURU -- The fallout from the Iran conflict has shut Indian factories, prevented exports of the country's famed basmati rice, forced airlines to cancel flights and led to the temporary shutdown of eateries as businesses reckon with disrupted shipping routes and rising fuel costs.
Australian software company Atlassian cuts 1,600 jobs, citing AI shift
SYDNEY -- Australian software firm Atlassian will cut 1,600 jobs across global operations, saying the move would help it "thrive as an AI-first company," following a similar move last month by WiseTech, another leading Australian IT company.
OpenClaw becomes latest AI craze for China's local governments
HONG KONG -- After navigating a series of hurdles -- from registration and payment to setting up a "gateway" -- Wang, a 35-year-old content director at one of China's biggest tech companies finally managed to get OpenClaw up and running on his desktop.