Following TSMC’s recent shareholder meeting, Chairman C. C. Wei addressed several key issues, including trade tariffs and international expansion plans. Wei emphasized that tariff negotiations happen between governments, not between nations and individual companies. He stressed that TSMC’s global expansion decisions are driven primarily by customer needs and local government support, not subsidies and that the company remains committed to being a cornerstone of the semiconductor industry through technological excellence and corporate culture.

Apple’s smartphone shipments in China dropped 9% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025, falling to fifth place with a 13.7% market share, according to IDC. In response, the company launched an aggressive discount campaign on May 11 ahead of the 618 shopping festival, slashing prices to unprecedented levels. Even the base model of the iPhone 16 Pro qualified for government subsidies.

As Middle Eastern nations accelerate economic diversification efforts, global attention is turning to the region’s rising profile as a destination for technology investment — a trend further amplified by US President Donald Trump’s recent visit, which resulted in more than US$2 trillion in investment and cooperation agreements across the region.