Ji Yue Auto’s sudden collapse has jolted the industry, marking a sharp and unceremonious shift in Baidu’s automotive ambitions. Once the tech giant’s symbol of its car-making aspirations, Ji Yue’s overnight downfall signals Baidu’s potential retreat from the automaking arena. The move highlights the mounting difficulties of sustaining vehicle production in a sector notorious for high risk and heavy investment.

In recent developments, a report has unveiled a notable shift in the business landscape concerning Japanese companies operating in Taiwan.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany (BMWK) has officially approved financing for TSMC’s wafer fab project in Dresden. The German government has signed an agreement with the four companies co-investing in European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC) – TSMC, Bosch, Infineon, and NXP. On December 13, Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck formally announced the launch of this joint investment project.

Japanese semiconductor testing equipment firm Advantest has announced its latest testing solutions for advanced applications such as high-end memory, 5G, AI, and high-performance computing (HPC). The company is also closely monitoring Rapidus’s progress in mass-producing 2nm chips.