Geopolitical Tensions - China's Foreign Ministry emphasizes that the Taiwan issue is a "red line" and a core interest, warning against any interference [1] - Japan maintains a steady policy on Taiwan, focusing on regional stability and dialogue despite China's protests [2] US-South Korea Trade Deal - The US and South Korea have announced a comprehensive trade agreement involving $150 billion in Korean investments in US shipbuilding and $200 billion for strategic sectors [3] - The deal includes significant tariff concessions, reducing Section 232 tariffs on various Korean imports to 15% and eliminating the cap on US-made vehicles in South Korea [3] - South Korea commits to purchasing $25 billion in US military equipment by 2030 and is authorized to build nuclear-powered attack submarines [3] Chinese Tech Landscape - Alibaba's Damai Entertainment launches MaisEat, a global events service platform integrated with Alipay, enhancing international ticketing [5] - Baidu reveals an AI chip roadmap, including the M100 chip for inference by 2026 and the M300 chip for training and inference by 2027, amid US export restrictions [6] - Tencent is making progress in revenue sharing discussions with Apple for mini-games on WeChat, while Bilibili reports record user metrics despite revenue growth slowdown [6]
Asia Navigates Geopolitical Tensions, Tech Innovation, and Economic Reforms