China’s evolving data governance regime has entered a new and more consequential phase. A revised set of cross-border data transfer regulations, finalized in March 2026 by the Cyberspace Administration of China, imposes stricter requirements on how companies move personal data and operationally sensitive information out of mainland China. The updated rules expand the categories of…
China is tightening oversight of artificial-intelligence-related exports as policymakers seek greater control over technologies that could shape industrial competitiveness, national security and data sovereignty. Lawyers and technology executives say the latest regulatory direction is prompting companies to review cross-border licensing, model deployment, cloud access and the transfer of specialised chips or AI-enabled systems. The move…
Asian equity markets traded mostly higher on Friday after reports emerged that Iran and Oman are drafting a protocol to “monitor transit” through the Strait of Hormuz, raising cautious hopes that the crucial waterway could partially reopen. Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that tanker traffic through the strait “should be supervised and coordinated”…
Asia’s artificial-intelligence hardware boom is lifting chipmakers, component suppliers and equipment firms across Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, as demand for compute infrastructure spreads beyond the largest U.S. cloud companies. The rally is no longer only about advanced processors; it now includes memory, packaging, substrates, cooling systems and power-management components. Taiwan remains central because of…
Asian conglomerates are reopening acquisition talks after nearly a year of caution, as lower market volatility and improving credit conditions give corporate boards more room to pursue regional expansion. Bankers in Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo say deal committees that spent much of 2025 focused on debt reduction are again reviewing targets in logistics, healthcare,…
WTI crude’s breach of 100 per barrel, with Brent spot prices reaching 41, has introduced a cost variable into AI data center siting decisions that was irrelevant three months ago. The total cost of ownership for an AI data center is dominated by three factors: capital construction costs, power costs, and cooling costs. The second…
U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude settled above $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022 on Thursday, joining Brent crude in triple-digit territory and confirming that the Hormuz crisis has become a global rather than purely Asian energy event. WTI jumped almost 12% during the session to trade at $112.06, while Brent surged approximately…
Asia-Pacific dealmaking entered 2026 on a foundation of record activity and rising regulatory complexity. Japan produced $218.5 billion in M&A value across 3,472 transactions in 2025, an 83.9% increase in deal value. China’s M&A market is reawakening after years of subdued activity. India continues to attract foreign direct investment at scale. Vietnam’s Investment Law, effective…
The first quarter of 2026 produced a technology narrative defined by two acts. Act one, spanning January and February, was dominated by AI hardware milestones: Samsung’s HBM4 mass production and commercial shipment, SK Hynix’s 3 billion packaging investment, TSMC’s record earnings and 2-56 billion capex commitment, the Boston Dynamics-DeepMind robotics partnership, and Singapore’s comprehensive AI…
Five weeks of the Hormuz crisis have exposed a truth that Asia’s energy regulators have been reluctant to confront: the region’s energy security regulatory architecture is designed for a world that assumed the Strait of Hormuz would always remain open. Japan’s emergency reserve framework, Korea’s petroleum business regulations, India’s strategic reserve management, and the IEA’s…
