China has maintained a clear lead over the US in drone-related technology patents since 2016, highlighting a widening technology gap as Taiwan seeks to expand its domestic drone industry and reduce reliance on China-centric supply chains. The divergence underscores the scale of the challenge facing Taiwan at a time when governments worldwide are accelerating procurement of unmanned systems and reassessing supply chain security.

South Korean prosecutors have charged ten individuals over an alleged large-scale leak of 10nm-class DRAM process technology from Samsung Electronics to China’s leading memory maker ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), a case authorities say directly enabled China’s first mass production of advanced DRAM in 2023.

Yulon Nissan Motor Co. on December 23, 2025, held a preview event ahead of the 2026 Taipei New Car and New Energy Vehicle Show, unveiling several high-profile models making their Taiwan debut. Among them were the Nissan Formula E GEN3 Evo—an ABB Formula E World Championship title-winning race car—and the Nissan Qashqai, a compact crossover equipped with the brand’s third-generation e-POWER hybrid system.

Unmanned aircraft are becoming central to modern military operations, driving a surge in government procurement that is reshaping Taiwan’s drone industry. The US, Japan, and Taiwan have all announced large-scale drone purchases. But the rapid expansion is straining supply chains, production capacity, and delivery timelines. Industry executives say closer coordination and clearer division of labor across suppliers will be critical for companies seeking to secure contracts and scale output.