China\u2019s Ministry of Commerce has warned of further disruption to the global semiconductor supply chain after Dutch chipmaker Nexperia cut access to some of its systems for Chinese staff.<\/p>\n
Nexperia makes chips that are in demand for automotive applications, among others. The company calls the Netherlands home, but is owned by Chinese company Wingtech Technologies. In late 2025, the Dutch government took control of Nexperia\u2019s local operations on grounds that it was set to illegally transfer critical chipmaking tech to Wingtech.<\/p>\n
That fight reached an uneasy stalemate, but hostilities appear to have resumed last week after Nexperia China claimed<\/a> its Dutch parent company cut off access to SAP and Microsoft 365 for all Chinese employees on March 3rd, making it impossible to process new orders.<\/p>\n Nexperia China said that as of Friday it was able to conduct \u201cbasic production operations\u201d and said it was trying to avoid disruption to production and delivery.<\/p>\n However, Nexperia\u2019s Dutch entity told<\/a> Reuters its Chinese subsidiary\u2019s statements were \u201cfactually incorrect and \u200cmisleading.\u201d<\/p>\n China\u2019s Ministry of Commerce said<\/a> the incident \u201chas stirred up new conflicts and created new difficulties and obstacles for the company’s negotiation efforts,\u201d and said: \u201cIf this triggers another global semiconductor supply chain crisis, the Netherlands must bear full responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n Indonesia to ban social media for under 16s<\/p>\n Indonesia\u2019s minister of communication and digital affairs Meutya Hafid last week announced a ban on social media for children aged 16 or under, citing the threat of cyberbullying and the risk of addiction.<\/p>\n \u201cWe understand that this step may cause discomfort at first. However, the government cannot remain silent when the future of children is at stake,\u201d she said in a speech<\/a>. The ban comes into force from March 28th and will impact YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox.<\/p>\n Indonesia is the world\u2019s fourth-most populated country, with almost 300 million residents \u2013 around a quarter of whom are under 16. Big Tech is therefore about to lose access to a significant number of customers.<\/p>\n How worried is China about AI\u2019s jobs impact?<\/p>\n China\u2019s Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Wang Xiaoping on Saturday said<\/a> the nation\u2019s government is mulling measures to actively harness AI in creating new job opportunities and empowering traditional jobs.<\/p>\n A government announcement states Wang\u2019s ministry \u201cwill continue to intensify efforts in developing new professions, focusing on areas such as new quality productive forces, new consumption hotspots, and services for public wellbeing.\u201d<\/p>\n However, a report in Japanese outlet Nikkei<\/a> quoted Wang as saying \u201cCurrently, artificial intelligence is developing rapidly, which has a profound impact on employment,\u201d and describing the situation as \u201cof great concern to everyone.”<\/p>\n India\u2019s PC sales remain tiny<\/p>\n Vendors shipped 15.9 million PCs in India last year according to analyst firm IDC, which declared<\/a> that the \u201cstrongest year ever.\u201d<\/p>\n But the firm also noted that 8.6 million PCs went to businesses, meaning consumers bought just 7.3 million machines<\/p>\n India\u2019s population is over 1.4 billion, so even the 10.2 percent year-over-year growth in PC shipments means very few Indians acquired a PC for personal use.<\/p>\n Vietnam\u2019s AI fund<\/p>\n The government of Vietnam last week announced<\/a> the creation of a national AI fund to establish AI cluster hubs at high-tech parks, concentrated digital technology zones, and innovation centers.<\/p>\n The government hasn\u2019t enumerated the extent of its investment but said some of its funds will flow to investors who build technical infrastructure.<\/p>\n Also in Vietnam last week, AWS Vice President of Data Center Planning and Delivery Kerry Person promised<\/a> to develop local talent, and expressed his desire to do more business with the nation\u2019s government.<\/p>\n Panasonic ships cooling to Europe<\/p>\n