Lauly Li, writing from Taipei, reflects on a turbulent September: covering SEMICON Taiwan with colleague Annie Cheng Ting-Fang, falling ill, her son's hospitalization, and losing a Tiffany bracelet. To lift spirits, she turned to the Chinese romance drama The Early Spring, which is trending across Asian markets and even the US. She notes the shifting pop culture landscape — from 1990s Japanese dramas to Taiwan's Meteor Garden, then South Korean idol culture, and now a rising appetite for Chinese pop culture. Meanwhile, supply chain sources confirm surging demand driven by AI infrastructure build-out. A longtime electronics component source in Taipei described nonstop trips to Japan since summer to secure more supplies from a Japanese manufacturer. An Nvidia server provider executive reported working through the Mid-Autumn Festival to meet client orders. These anecdotes suggest the supply chain is not worried about AI development slowdowns mentioned by executives at Anthropic, OpenAI, and SpaceX. Separately, Huawei has made a significant intellectual property breakthrough, signing a cross-licensing agreement with Qualcomm covering 5G, AI, and networking technologies.
The popularity of Chinese dramas and idols in overseas markets mirrors the global expansion of China's tech industries like electric vehicles, displays, and batteries. As C-dramas gain traction beyond domestic borders, industry observers are watching whether China's 'idol economics' can achieve similar global reach. Tech executives are well aware of these cultural shifts, indicating broader commercial momentum behind Chinese pop culture.
On the supply chain front, the anecdotes paint a picture of relentless activity. A Taipei-based source described accompanying Taiwanese clients on repeated trips to Japan to secure component supplies. Factory workers and engineers were deployed during holidays to fulfill orders, underscoring the intensity of current demand. These developments suggest strong confidence in sustained AI-driven growth despite public comments from Western tech leaders about potential slowdowns.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing