Asia

According to Stanford’s AI Center, the US has the best AI environment, followed by China.
22Nov By TheGreenZoneNo Comments
Asia, China, Market, USA, World

According to Stanford’s AI Center, the US has the best AI environment, followed by China.

The US has been called the Wild West when it comes to AI safety due to a lack of federal governance compared to other countries. But that hasn’t impaired its status as the top AI ecosystem in the world, according to a Stanford University ranking. Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) has created a tool that measures the strength of AI ecosystems based on a country’s economy, infrastructure, education, and yes — governance. Those metrics led a panel of experts to designate the US as the world’s AI powerhouse by a landslide because of its high number of existing models, notable private investments, and research on responsible AI. China follows, with strengths in its number of patents granted, investment, and clear national strategy. “Since the...
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China Adds Nine More Countries to Its Visa-Free Entry List – AP
22Nov By TheGreenZoneNo Comments
Asia, China, Market, World

China Adds Nine More Countries to Its Visa-Free Entry List – AP

China plans to expand visa-free entry to people from nine more countries from the end of this month, according to a report by Associated Press, which said the moves is part of efforts to invigorate its sluggish tourism and business sectors. The new countries are Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Estonia, Latvia and Japan. And visitors from these states will be able to stay for up to 30 days without a visa. That means some 38 countries will soon have ‘visa-free’ access, which is a big dup from just three before the country was hit by the Covid pandemic. Meanwhile, people participating in exchanges will also qualify for visa-free entry – a move that seeks to enhance relations through increased cultural and academic exchanges. In recent months, a signif...
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October 2024: Retail Increases, Industrial Decline, and Export Growth in China’s Economy
21Nov By TheGreenZoneNo Comments
Asia, China, Market

October 2024: Retail Increases, Industrial Decline, and Export Growth in China’s Economy

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has released the trade and economic data for October 2024, reflecting a mixed economic outlook. Retail sales surged 4.8 percent, the highest since February 2024, buoyed by holiday spending and Singles’ Day promotions. However, industrial output growth slowed to 5.3 percent, missing expectations, and the property sector remains sluggish despite recent policy measures. Amid this backdrop, economists highlight the challenges of sustaining growth, particularly with rising global uncertainties. The return of Donald Trump as President-elect of the United States, who has threatened significant tariffs on Chinese imports, poses a potential headwind for China’s trade-dependent sectors. In response, analysts anticipate further s...
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SMIC and Huawei of China “will ramp up production” of the newest AI chip.
21Nov By TheGreenZoneNo Comments
Asia, China, Market, USA, World

SMIC and Huawei of China “will ramp up production” of the newest AI chip.

SMIC, China’s largest contract chipmaker, will make the 910C on its N+2 process, it added. Huawei is aiming to ramp up production even as the yield – the proportion of chips that come off the manufacturing line fully functional – of its advanced AI semiconductors remains far below industry standards. Advanced chips need yields of more than 70% to be commercially viable — lower yields mean greater costs and higher defect rates. But SMIC is currently producing the 910C on older, stockpiled chipmaking equipment, which has limited the chip’s yield to around 20%, Reuters said, citing a source. Even Huawei’s current most advanced processor, the SMIC-made 910B, has a yield of only around 50%, forcing Huawei to slash production targets and delay filling orders for that chip, the ...
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Why AI is the new catalyst for profitable growth in Southeast Asia
21Nov By TheGreenZoneNo Comments
Asia, Market, USA, World

Why AI is the new catalyst for profitable growth in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia's digital economy is a story of remarkable resilience and dynamism. Millions in the region join the digital landscape every year as consumers, entrepreneurs, developers and creators, driving both economic growth and societal transformation. The e-Conomy SEA 2024 report by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company captures this dynamism and reveals a regional digital economy that has achieved profitability. In just two years, profitability has grown 2.5x, from US$4 billion in 2022 to US$11 billion in 2024. This underscores the region's capacity to not only embrace innovation but to translate it into tangible economic gains, delivering a 10x increase in revenue since 2016. Combined with strategic investments and forward-thinking policies, the region's inher...
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SMIC and Huawei of China “will ramp up production” of the newest AI chip.
21Nov By TheGreenZoneNo Comments
Asia, China, Market, USA

SMIC and Huawei of China “will ramp up production” of the newest AI chip.

Chinese technology giant Huawei and chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) are aiming to begin mass-production of China’s most advanced homegrown artificial intelligence chip, starting next year, according to Reuters. Huawei is racing to rival US chipmaker Nvidia with its AI chips at a time when increasing export restrictions by Washington — and its allies — are slowing the growth of China’s tech industry. As part of that effort, Huawei plans to start mass producing the Ascend 910C, its newest AI chip offering in China, in the first quarter of 2025, Reuters said, citing sources familiar with the matter. SMIC, China’s largest contract chipmaker, will make the 910C on its N+2 process, it added. Huawei is aiming to ramp up production even as the yield – t...
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In 2025, the US economy is expected to surpass forecasts.
20Nov By TheGreenZoneNo Comments
Asia, Market, USA, World

In 2025, the US economy is expected to surpass forecasts.

The world’s largest economy is forecast to outperform economist expectations again next year, according to Goldman Sachs Research. “The US economy is in a good place,” writes David Mericle, chief US economist in Goldman Sachs Research. “Recession fears have diminished, inflation is trending back toward 2%, and the labor market has rebalanced but remains strong.” Goldman Sachs Research predicts US GDP will grow 2.5% on a full-year basis. That compares with 1.9% for the consensus forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Three key policy changes following the Republican sweep in Washington are expected to affect the economy, Mericle writes in the team’s report, which is titled “2025 US Economic Outlook: New Policies, Similar Path.” Tariff increases on imports from...
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According to a research, the business migration from China is intensifying.
20Nov By TheGreenZoneNo Comments
Asia, China, Market

According to a research, the business migration from China is intensifying.

Even before President-elect Donald Trump and his tariff-heavy agenda won the White House, top companies were already planning to shift production out of China at a faster pace, according to a new study. Based on a survey of 166 CEOs and COOs, Bain & Company found that the share of companies moving operations out of China jumped to 69% in 2024 from 55% in 2022. Where will they go? The top destination was the Indian subcontinent, with 39% of execs saying they were headed there. That was followed by 16% moving to the U.S. or Canada, 11% to Southeast Asia, 10% to Western Europe, and 8% to Latin America, rounding out the top five destinations. Meanwhile, more companies are “reshoring” operations to their home countries or “near-shoring” to neighboring countries...
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China’s Religious Crisis and the Battle for Moral Domination
20Nov By TheGreenZoneNo Comments
Asia, China

China’s Religious Crisis and the Battle for Moral Domination

China’s policies toward religion have changed radically during the Xi era. The state has sought to Sinicize religious practices and bring them under tighter bureaucratic control, while stricter regulations have curtailed public discussion of faith and spirituality on the Internet and social media. Nonetheless, more Chinese than ever are turning to spiritual pursuits in search of comfort and relief from the stress and unpredictability of life in China at a time of economic uncertainty, social disruption, and eroding trust in the Party-state and its secular materialist ideology. Internal migration and rapid urbanization have weakened community life and family ties, creating a sense of social isolation. A highly competitive education system, bleak employment prospects, and the pressures o...
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Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs reduce China’s prospects for economic development.
19Nov By TheGreenZoneNo Comments
Asia, China, Market

Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs reduce China’s prospects for economic development.

Hong Kong stocks are cheap but may miss out on the benefits of China's economic support, analysts at Goldman Sachs said, while Morgan Stanley warned tensions and tariffs could hurt, as both brokerages downgraded market forecasts.  Goldman Sachs trimmed its recommendation on Hong Kong shares to "underweight" from "market weight".  Morgan Stanley downgraded China to slight "underweight" from "equal weight" in emerging markets, with analysts noting that efforts to revive the economy and a Republican sweep of Congress and the White House could significantly impact markets. "We expect even stronger headwinds on corporate earnings and market valuation in the coming months," Morgan Stanley analysts said in a note dated Nov. 17.  Morgan Stanley's base-case target for Ch...
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