In Bangkok, I reunited with a friend relocated from a major Chinese tech firm, while colleague Annie Cheng Ting-Fang and I filed a spot story on CXMT's $8.54bn IPO filing during a massage — highlighting soaring AI-driven memory chip demand. Huawei aims to raise smartphone shipments 20% to 60mn units this year, defying peers Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo, which cut forecasts amid component shortages. The company's tech edge across networking, AI, and consumer devices helps secure domestic supply, underscored by a Kuala Lumpur launch event to regain global presence.

Nvidia has halved authorized Asian buyers via a new "white list" after intensified US pressure, excluding over half its prior customers — mainly neocloud providers — to prevent AI chip diversion to China. The US Department of Commerce oversees the stricter vetting, including data centre visits and end-user interviews.

The US has become the top helium supplier for Japan (83%), Taiwan (60%), and South Korea, as Qatar's output falters and China restricts exports. Meanwhile, Malaysia begins small-scale production of its first graphene-enhanced lithium-ion EV battery, developed for 20mn ringgit ($4.9mn) by Gigafactory Malaysia under Nano Malaysia Berhad, promising higher energy density and lower EV costs.