Asia In Brief The United States may be about to change its policies regarding Chinese technology companies.
Evidence of the possible change emerged on Friday when the US Federal Register published an updated list of designated Chinese Military companies whose activities in the USA are greatly restricted.
The list disappeared within hours after a US government agency requested it be withdrawn, but numerous reports state that document listed Chinese web and cloud giants Alibaba and Baidu, plus automaker BYD, as companies tangled up with the Middle Kingdom’s military, and therefore a security risk.
The update also reportedly removed Chinese memory-makers ChangXin Memory Technologies and Yangtze Memory Technologies, a change that means both can sell their DRAM to US customers. The two companies make very small quantities of RAM, probably too little to offer significant price relief to US buyers.
Pentagon spokespeople have said a revised list will be made public soon.
Reuters, meanwhile, reports that the US may lift bans on Chinese telcos operating in the US, and also walk away from plans to prevent sales of TP-Link products.
If correct, those actions would reverse the first Trump administration’s “Clean network” policy that aimed to “secure Americans’ most sensitive information” from China by ensuring Middle Kingdom carriers, submarine cables, and clouds could operate in America.
The Clean Networks policy came into force in 2020 – perhaps a year too late to stop the Beijing-backed Salt Typhoon crew from totally owning US telecoms networks.
Reuters speculates that the administration’s easing of some restrictions on Chinese tech are a negotiating tactic ahead of a planned meeting between presidents Trump and Xi Jinping.
India introduces strict AI takedown rules
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology last week announced new rules that require social media operators to automatically detect AI-generated content and remove some of it within two hours.
The rules [PDF] extend India’s digital media ethics laws to shorten the deadline for content removal from 24 hours to two hours when authorities deem takedowns are urgent due to possible personal harms.
The updated rules also ban using AI to create intimate content, plus content that “falsely depicts or portrays a natural person or real-world event.”
India’s government published the rules on February 10th and imposed a ten-day deadline for compliance.
Singapore readies $30 billion tech fund
Singapore’s prime minister last week announced a S$37 billion ($30 billion) R&D fund, some of which will go towards a new set of national AI Missions designed to “drive AI-led transformation in key sectors of our economy, and push the boundaries of what is possible, for Singapore and for the world.”
The island nation will focus on advanced manufacturing, connectivity, finance, and healthcare.
In his budget speech, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said Singapore hopes AI will “accelerate innovation and build best-in-class factories that can compete globally and “help to automate airport and seaport operations, move goods more efficiently, and strengthen Singapore’s position as a leading global hub.”
Wong also addressed concerns about AI.
“Workers worry that AI will displace jobs. Societies worry about misinformation, bias, and the ethical use of powerful technologies. These anxieties are real — and we must confront them squarely,” he said. “But fear cannot be Singapore’s response. If we allow uncertainty to paralyse us, we will fall behind in a world that is moving rapidly ahead.”
“So we must act with clarity and resolve. AI is a powerful tool — but it is still a tool. It must serve our national interests and our people. We will define how AI is developed and used in Singapore. We will set clear rules to ensure it is applied responsibly and safely. And we will ensure that its benefits are shared widely across society.”
Google also last week announced new investments in Singapore.
IBM ‘conquering’ China
IBM’s general manager for Greater China, Chen Xudong, last week issued New Year’s wishes to clients in which he said that during 2025 Big Blue “continued to adopt a second entrepreneurial approach and a do-or-die determination in the Chinese market, moving from ‘defending its territory’ to ‘conquering its territory.’”
Chen said IBM will do that by bringing more of its wares to China, and help exporters to reach new markets.
“As the AI wave overlaps with anxieties about going global, Chinese companies no longer need piecemeal technical patches, but rather integrated solutions tailored to their specific business needs,” he wrote. “Only by breaking down data and system silos, building a secure and flexible technological foundation, and embracing open-source application platforms can they firmly grasp both control and choice, achieving a new path to growth characterized by resilience and enhanced innovation.”
Japanese bear-scaring wolf robot gets cuddly
In 2018, Japanese company Ohta Seiki created the “Monster Wolf” – a robot with glowing red eyes designed to scare bears. Think of it as an modern scarecrow that caught the public imagination because bears coming into contact with people always makes the news in Japan.
As bear attacks surged last year, the Monster Wolf returned to prominence.
And now, according to Japanese outlet Nikkei, Ohta Seiki plans to release plush versions of the Monster Wolf.
One model will retain the original’s bear-scaring role, and will apparently be able to play back sounds including growls, howls, gunshots and a human voice uttering threats including “You won’t be spared!” The 20cm robot will be remotely operable. The company plans a smaller model that can serve as a personal protection device, or just extract yen from the pockets of plush toy enthusiasts. ®
