🇰🇷 Samsung Backs Helix With $1bn

Six Samsung affiliates will invest $1 billion in AI infrastructure company Helix Digital Infrastructure, according to Nikkei Asia. Helix is backed by KKR, and the deal expands Samsung’s push beyond semiconductors into AI-linked infrastructure.

The move places Samsung in the buildout of the physical layer supporting AI demand, including data center and digital infrastructure capacity. It also reflects broader Asian corporate positioning around AI supply chains, as major groups seek exposure not only to chips but also to the strategic assets needed to run large-scale models.

The investment signals a wider portfolio approach across the Samsung group rather than a single-company bet. It deepens South Korea’s presence in the commercial AI infrastructure race.

#SouthKorea

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🇨🇳🇯🇵 Toyota JVs Consolidated in China

Toyota Motor will place its two China joint ventures under one corporate structure, according to regulatory filings detailing the deal involving GAC Group and FAW Group. The restructuring covers Toyota’s partnerships with GAC and FAW, and is aimed at supporting the weaker position of GAC.

The move fits a broader restructuring of China’s state-backed auto sector as legacy carmakers face pressure from the rapid shift to new energy vehicles. For Toyota, consolidating its China operations may streamline management across its two main local partnerships while aligning with Beijing’s push to rationalize state auto assets.

The filings indicate a more centralized framework for Toyota’s China business as competitive and financial strains deepen for traditional manufacturers.

#China #Japan

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🇵🇭🇮🇩 Nickel flows shift to Indonesia

Philippine nickel ore exports to Indonesia rose 82% year on year in the first seven months of 2026 after Jakarta cut output quotas, tightening supply from the world’s largest producer. Nikkei Asia reported that the surge is redirecting more ore from the Philippines into Indonesian processing chains.

The shift comes as Manila seeks to build a domestic nickel processing industry instead of remaining primarily an ore exporter. The issue is strategically important because nickel is a core input for stainless steel and EV batteries, but industry participants warn the Philippines faces significant challenges in developing downstream capacity.

Higher ore shipments to Indonesia may support its established smelting sector while complicating Philippine efforts to retain more value onshore.

#Philippines #Indonesia

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🇯🇵🇮🇩 Japan Ends Indonesia Fire Mission

Japan will conclude its first overseas firefighting deployment after Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi ordered troops to end operations in Indonesia, where Self-Defense Forces helicopters had been assisting with forest fire response since Sept. 16. A transport ship carrying three CH-47 helicopters was sent to West Kalimantan, and the aircraft carried out more than 40 aerial firefighting sorties through Monday, dropping around 220 tons of water.

Jakarta told Tokyo the operation helped prevent further spread of the fires and that Indonesian authorities can now manage the response independently. The mission followed a May agreement between the Japanese and Indonesian defense ministers to expand cooperation in joint training and disaster relief, giving the deployment added weight as a practical test of bilateral defense coordination.

The Kunisaki, an 8,900-ton Osumi-class transport ship, left Kure in Hiroshima on Aug. 30 and arrived at Kijing Port on Sept. 10. Tokyo said it aims to deepen defense ties with Indonesia on the basis of trust built during the operation.

#Japan #Indonesia

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🇹🇼🇺🇸 Taiwan expands sea drone ties

Taiwanese companies are partnering with US firms to build unmanned surface vessels for defense procurement as Taiwan seeks lower-cost tools against China’s much larger maritime forces. Nikkei Asia reported on the tie-ups, which target a nascent local industry backed by expected orders from the navy and coast guard.

The effort is aimed at strengthening asymmetric maritime defense through domestically produced sea drones using US technology inputs. It comes as Taipei faces sustained pressure from China’s navy, coast guard and other vessels, making scalable and lower-cost unmanned platforms increasingly relevant to force planning and coastal security.

The partnerships point to a broader push to localize production while accelerating deployment. Procurement decisions by Taiwan’s military and coast guard will shape whether the sector moves beyond pilot projects.

#Taiwan #US

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🇨🇳🇺🇸 Beijing Warns on Taiwan Risks

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said Wednesday that mishandling the Taiwan issue could lead to a US-China collision or even conflict, describing it as the core of China’s core interests and the most important issue in bilateral ties. At a regular briefing, spokesperson Zhang Han said that Taiwan is part of China and that adherence to the one-China principle remains the political foundation of US-China relations.

Zhang blamed Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te for maintaining a pro-independence position, rejecting the 1992 Consensus, and provoking separatist moves that Beijing said undermine stability in the Taiwan Strait. The remarks follow the September 24 White House meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, where Xi reiterated that the US should oppose Taiwan independence and handle the issue prudently.

The statement places Taiwan at the center of current US-China risk management and ties broader bilateral stability directly to Washington’s position on the issue.

#China #US

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🇺🇸🇹🇼 US Senators Press Taiwan Commitments

Republican Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Washington must uphold its security commitments to Taiwan after meeting the island’s representative to the US on Sept. 29. In a statement, Wicker said the US must adhere to the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which requires Washington to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.

The intervention follows a separate call by four Republican senators for the Trump administration to release more than US$15 billion in stalled national security assistance for Taiwan. The US has no formal diplomatic ties with Taipei but remains its main international backer and weapons supplier, while Beijing continues to oppose arms sales and claims the island as its territory.

Wicker said Congress had already authorised and appropriated additional resources for training, security assistance and arms sales, and that these authorities should be used as intended. The remarks indicate continued pressure from Capitol Hill to sustain Taiwan-related defence support despite Chinese objections.

#US #Taiwan #China

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🇨🇳🇪🇺 Beijing attacks EU trade tool push

China’s Ministry of Commerce criticised a reported Franco-German effort to create an EU mechanism modelled on US Section 301 authorities to counter China, warning Beijing would resolutely respond to any discriminatory steps against Chinese firms or products. The ministry said such a move would damage mutual trust and disrupt the next round of China-EU trade talks scheduled for later this month.

The reported proposal, attributed to policy work in Paris and Berlin, would give the EU a faster instrument to restrict Chinese access to the European market, reportedly through reform of the bloc’s Anti-Coercion Instrument. Beijing framed the idea as protectionist and unilateralist, while pressure inside the EU has been building for the bloc to use its market leverage more aggressively in response to trade frictions with China.

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche held a video call on Monday as the issue gathered momentum. Beijing said it would closely monitor Brussels’ next steps.

#China #France #Germany

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🇭🇰 Boom News founder arrested

Hong Kong national security police on Wednesday arrested two people, including Boom News founder Tang Ho-wing, on suspicion of incitement by spreading disinformation. Tang, 37, was detained at around 7am, alongside activist Lee Ying-chi, with the alleged acts linked to events outside Prince Edward MTR station on August 31.

According to the report, the case is tied to the earlier arrest this month of three others accused of shouting seditious slogans and holding white flowers at the same location on the same date. Tang founded Boom News in 2020 after previous work at Chinese University Student Press and HK Golden’s news arm; the outlet operates mainly on social media and had about 66,000 Instagram followers as of Wednesday morning.

The arrests extend national security enforcement into the online media space as well as street-related commemorative activity. Boom News also solicits reader support through Patreon, PayPal and Hong Kong’s Faster Payment System.

#HongKong

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🇨🇳 DeepSeek opens Ascend stack

Chinese AI firm DeepSeek said Wednesday it open-sourced infrastructure components for Huawei’s Ascend computing platform. The release covers the TileLang high-level compiler, a compute library, and a distributed communication library, mirroring its previously open-sourced components for Nvidia platforms.

DeepSeek said TileLang is simpler than Nvidia’s CUDA for programming and can better utilize chip features; it already supports most operator implementations used in training the DeepSeek V4 model series. The move comes as DeepSeek increases adoption of Huawei and other domestic chips, as part of a broader push to reduce reliance on Nvidia amid US advanced chip export controls.

DeepSeek still depends on Nvidia chips for model training, but has reportedly prioritized Huawei chips for future training workloads. US media previously reported the company expects a new batch of Huawei training chips in late 2026 or early 2027, though model and volume remain unclear.

#China

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🇰🇷🇺🇦 Seoul Rebukes Kyiv Over POW Disclosure

South Korea’s intelligence service believes President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea to build domestic backing for military aid to Ukraine, according to lawmakers briefed by the agency. Seoul summoned Ukraine’s envoy on Sept. 28 over the issue after Zelensky publicly revealed the move at the UN; the two soldiers arrived in mid-September and were reported to be in generally good health.

Seoul said confidentiality had been agreed at the diplomatic level because disclosure could endanger the POWs’ relatives in North Korea. Lawmakers said the two men had repeatedly confirmed their willingness to go to the South, but the public disclosure complicated a sensitive case that intersects with Ukraine’s requests for South Korean weapons and broader cooperation.

The episode adds friction to Seoul-Kyiv coordination on North Korean military involvement in the war. It also tightens South Korea’s focus on handling defectors and POWs from the North under strict security controls.

#SouthKorea #Ukraine #NorthKorea

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🇰🇷 South Korea readies 5th Nuri launch

South Korea’s space agency said preparations for the fifth launch of the domestically built Nuri rocket are on schedule ahead of its Oct. 7 liftoff from the Naro Space Center in Goheung. KASA chief Oh Tae-seok said preparations were proceeding without problems, while the Korea Aerospace Research Institute released footage of the rocket’s three-stage assembly.

The launch vehicle will carry 15 satellites, including five NEONSAT spacecraft forming part of South Korea’s first domestically launched microsatellite constellation, plus 10 CubeSats. KASA said the main technical challenge is the precise deployment of all payloads into their designated orbits, a capability tied to future commercial launch services.

The mission expands South Korea’s indigenous launch and small-satellite deployment capacity. Its performance will be a practical test of multi-satellite orbital insertion using the Nuri platform.

#SouthKorea

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🇲🇾 Malaysia Moves on AI Rules

Malaysia plans to tighten regulation of artificial intelligence technologies, including AI-enabled smart glasses, as Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said the government is building frameworks and enforcement capacity in anticipation of new tools rather than reacting after deployment. He said authorities are strengthening regulatory frameworks and dedicated agencies in response to concerns over privacy, cybersecurity and unauthorised recording.

The government said existing offences involving harassment or non-consensual recording already fall under the Penal Code or the Personal Data Protection Act 2010. A multi-agency structure involving the Personal Data Protection Commissioner, the National Digital Department’s data unit and the National Cyber Security Agency is monitoring how data from new devices is stored, used and protected, while enforcing benchmarks under the Cyber Security Act 2024.

The move places Malaysia among governments adapting legal and enforcement systems to consumer AI hardware as surveillance and data-use risks expand beyond software platforms.

#Malaysia

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🇨🇳 China Firms Lag, Power Aids AI

Natixis said Chinese corporate profitability remained below global peers in the first half of 2026, with margins at 4.5% versus nearly 9% globally and returns on capital at 6% versus above 11%. Based on a comparison of 2,300 Chinese firms and 9,000 overseas counterparts, the bank said China is still positioned to benefit from the AI boom because of ample power capacity, as Natixis reported.

The survey pointed to a structural divide inside China's corporate sector: central SOEs had lower and faster-falling interest burdens than private firms, at 2.2% versus 3.2%, while private firms remained more profitable. Natixis said weak revenue generation and lower capital returns continue to weigh on companies, even as debt burdens have eased.

On AI infrastructure, Natixis estimated AI data centres would account for only about 5% of China’s annual increase in power consumption, versus 48% in the US, 28% in Europe, and 66% in Japan. That gives China greater room to expand data-centre capacity without crowding out other sectors.

#China

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🇺🇸🇨🇳🇹🇼 US Doubts Near-Term Taiwan Invasion

US officials believe a Chinese invasion of Taiwan before 2028 is increasingly unlikely, according to people familiar with US thinking cited in a Reuters report. The assessment concerns a potential move by China to take the democratically governed island by force, if needed.

The view comes despite Chinese President Xi Jinping’s instructions for the PLA to be ready by 2027. The snippet frames that date as a readiness target rather than a forecast of action next year.

The immediate implication is that Washington’s current assessment does not treat 2027 as a likely invasion year. It suggests US officials are distinguishing between military preparedness goals and near-term intent.

#US #China #Taiwan

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🇹🇼🇨🇳 Taiwan shifts naval commander

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said a senior naval commander has been transferred to the Coast Guard, according to a Reuters report. The move is aimed at boosting coordination as China increases its maritime presence around Taiwan.

The transfer places a senior military officer inside the Coast Guard at a time of heightened activity in waters around the island. Lai announced the change on Thursday.

The immediate effect is likely tighter coordination between Taiwan’s navy and coast guard in responding to maritime pressure from China.

#Taiwan #China

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🇨🇳🇵🇭 Chinese Vessel Near Batanes

A Chinese civilian research ship, Jia Hai Ke 7, has remained for more than a week near Batanes in waters northwest of Itbayat, according to AIS data and the Philippine coastguard. Manila said the vessel was conducting operations inconsistent with innocent passage, with the ship reported about 38 nautical miles from Itbayat and not responding to three radio challenges from Philippine aerial patrols.

The area lies in the Luzon Strait between Taiwan and northern Luzon, where critical subsea telecommunications cables connect Southeast Asia with North America and northeast Asia. The deployment adds to tensions around Batanes as Beijing has increased pressure over Manila-Tokyo maritime delimitation efforts, while concerns persist that Chinese research vessels can be used to map seabed terrain and gather data on undersea infrastructure.

The ship departed Xiamen on September 19 and arrived near Itbayat on September 22, remaining there through at least Tuesday. Its presence is likely to intensify Philippine monitoring of strategic waters and undersea assets in the area.

#China #Philippines

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🇵🇰🇦🇫 Pakistan strikes hit Afghanistan

Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan killed nine people and injured 11 on Thursday, the Afghan Taliban government said, according to a Reuters report. The incident involves the two South Asian neighbours.

Kabul said the strikes came amid an escalation in fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The reported flare-up follows three months of relative calm.

The strikes mark a renewed deterioration in cross-border security conditions. The reported casualties add immediate pressure to an already escalating confrontation.

#Pakistan #Afghanistan

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🇰🇷🇰🇵 Lee Seeks Talks, Expands Military

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Oct. 1 urged North Korea to restore trust and resume dialogue, while reaffirming a major defence buildup in Gyeryong during Armed Forces Day events. His remarks came a day after Seoul and the UN Command said a DMZ landmine blast that injured three South Korean soldiers amounted to an armistice violation, as Lee called for dialogue despite the latest escalation.

Lee said his administration would pursue practical steps to reduce inter-Korean military tensions, even as Pyongyang rejected the armistice findings and Kim Yo Jong warned of retaliation. He also reiterated plans to secure wartime operational control transfer from the US, build nuclear-powered submarines by the mid-2030s, and upgrade missile defence with AI-based command systems, high-energy laser interceptors, and a stronger three-axis defence network.

The agenda combines renewed outreach to Pyongyang with a broader push for self-reliant military capabilities. It also comes as North Korea continues border fortification work along the DMZ and has largely rebuffed Seoul’s overtures.

#SouthKorea #NorthKorea

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🇰🇷🇰🇵 Seoul Keeps Coexistence Policy

South Korea’s unification ministry said it will continue pursuing peaceful coexistence with North Korea despite the recent DMZ land mine blast that wounded three South Korean soldiers. The ministry reaffirmed the policy on Oct. 1, one day after Kim Yo-jong rejected Seoul’s finding that North Korean mines caused the explosion.

The stance follows the South Korean military’s assessment that the blast inside the Demilitarized Zone was caused by North Korean land mines, which the Joint Chiefs of Staff called a violation of the Armistice Agreement. Seoul has demanded an apology from Pyongyang, while the ministry said it would work with other agencies on measures to prevent similar incidents as it maintains engagement as the basis for inter-Korean stability.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young cut short a Europe trip and returned home to manage the aftermath and the inter-Korean response.

#SouthKorea #NorthKorea

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