The AI regulatory landscape across Asia in early 2026 presents a paradox. Governments across the region have intensified their efforts to establish governance frameworks for artificial intelligence with unusual speed and seriousness. The approaches they have chosen are diverging so rapidly that compliance costs for companies operating across multiple jurisdictions are rising faster than the…
The National People’s Congress Standing Committee adopted the Law on National Development Planning in late February, establishing for the first time a statutory framework for the Five-Year Plan process that has governed China’s economic strategy since 1953. The law, which will be formally ratified at the full NPC session opening March 5, codifies the relationship…
Samsung’s reported HBM4 pricing of approximately 700 per unit, 20-30% above the previous generation, represents more than a supply-demand premium. It reflects a structural shift in how memory is valued within the AI computing stack. HBM4 is a complex, performance-critical subsystem custom-qualified for specific AI processor platforms, manufactured through a process that fewer than three…
China confirmed a GDP growth target of 4.5% to 5% for 2026 as leaders prepared for the annual National People’s Congress session in March, where the 15th Five-Year Plan covering 2026 to 2030 will be formally adopted. The target, slightly below the 2025 goal of “around 5%,” reflects acknowledgment that the economy faces persistent headwinds…
