Latest news with #FannyPotkin
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
France's Macron calls for Asian coalitions as he warns of US-China divisions
By Fanny Potkin, Xinghui Kok and Idrees Ali SINGAPORE (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that division between the two superpowers, the United States and China, is the main risk currently confronting the world as he emphasised the need for building new coalitions between Paris and partners in the Indo-Pacific. Macron is visiting the region as France and the European Union aim to strengthen their commercial ties in Asia to offset uncertainty over U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping global tariff measures. "I will be clear, France is a friend and an ally of the United States, and is a friend, and we do cooperate - even if sometimes we disagree and compete - with China," said Macron, who was speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier defence forum, alongside a two-day state visit to Singapore. "You have to choose a side. If we do so, we will kill the global order, and we will destroy methodically, all the institutions we created after the Second World War in order to preserve peace and to have cooperation on health, on climate, on human rights and so on," Macron added. The French president said Asia and Europe have a common interest in preventing the disintegration of the global order. "The time for non-alignment has undoubtedly passed, but the time for coalitions of action has come, and requires that countries capable of acting together give themselves every means to do so," Macron said. Macron is following leaders of China, Japan and other European countries in visiting the region in recent weeks, in a sign of Southeast Asia's strategic importance amid uncertainties on global supply chains and trade. The French leader also warned that if the United States and Europe were not able to bring an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, it would impact their credibility in the Indo-Pacific region as well. "If the United States of America and the Europeans are unable to fix in the short term the Ukraine crisis, I think the credibility of the U.S. and Europe to fix any other crisis in this region will be very low," he said. Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of fighting in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops. Russia currently controls just under one fifth of the country. Though Russian advances have accelerated over the past year, the war is costing both Russia and Ukraine dearly in terms of casualties and military spending. Macron also warned of risks to Asia if a precedent was created by allowing Russia to take control of part of Ukraine territory unopposed. "If we consider that Russia could be allowed to take a part of the territory of Ukraine without any restriction, without any constraint, without any reaction of the global could happen in Taiwan?" China views democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory and has stepped up military and political pressure to assert those claims, including increasing the intensity of war games, saying the island is one of its provinces with no right to be called a state.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Huawei readies new AI chip for mass shipment as China seeks Nvidia alternatives, sources say
By Fanny Potkin and Che Pan SINGAPORE/BEIJING (Reuters) -Huawei Technologies plans to begin mass shipments of its advanced 910C artificial intelligence chip to Chinese customers as early as next month, two people familiar with the matter said. Some shipments have already been made, they added. The timing is fortuitous for Chinese AI companies which have been left scrambling for domestic alternatives to the H20, the primary AI chip that Nvidia had until recently been allowed to sell freely in the Chinese market. This month, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration told Nvidia that sales of the H20 would require an export licence. Huawei's 910C, a graphics processing unit (GPU), represents an architectural evolution rather than a technological breakthrough, according to one of the two people and a third source familiar with its design. It achieves performance comparable to Nvidia's H100 chip by combining two 910B processors into a single package through advanced integration techniques, they said. That means it has double the computing power and memory capacity of the 910B and it also has incremental improvements, including enhanced support for diverse AI workload data, they added. All sources were not authorised to speak to media and declined to be identified. Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Seeking to limit China's technological development, particularly advances for its military, Washington has cut China off from Nvidia's most advanced AI products including its flagship B200 chip. The H100 chip, for example, was banned from sale in China in 2022 by U.S. authorities before it was even launched. This has allowed Huawei and Chinese GPU startups such as Moore Threads and Iluvatar CoreX to go after what has primarily been a market dominated by Nvidia. The U.S. Commerce Department's latest export curbs on Nvidia's H20 "will mean that Huawei's Ascend 910C GPU will now become the hardware of choice for (Chinese) AI model developers and for deploying inference capacity," said Paul Triolo, a partner at consulting firm Albright Stonebridge Group. Late last year, Huawei distributed samples of the 910C to several technology firms and started accepting orders, sources have said. Reuters was not able to ascertain which companies would be primarily producing the 910C. China's SMIC is manufacturing some main components of the GPUs using its N+2 7nm process technology although its chip yield rates are low, a source has previously said. At least some of Huawei's 910Cs use chips that were made by Taiwanese contract chip manufacturing giant TSMC for China-based Sophgo, according to one of the sources and a fourth person. The Commerce Department has been investigating TSMC's work for Sophgo after one of its TSMC-made chips was found in a 910B processor. TSMC made nearly three million chips in recent years that matched the design ordered by Sophgo, according to Lennart Heim, a researcher at RAND's Technology and Security and Policy Center in Arlington, Virginia, who is tracking Chinese developments in AI. Sophgo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. TSMC said it complies with regulatory requirements and it has not supplied Huawei since mid-September 2020.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Nvidia kept some China customers in the dark about new US chip clampdown, sources say
By Fanny Potkin and Liam Mo SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Nvidia did not warn at least some major customers in advance about new U.S. export rules it was told about a week ago requiring it to obtain licenses to sell its China-focused artificial intelligence chip, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The U.S. chipmaker disclosed on Tuesday that American officials had informed the company on April 9 that its H20 chip would require an export license for sales to China. The move to restrict H20 shipments marks Washington's latest effort to limit China's access to advanced semiconductors, as the United States seeks to maintain its edge in AI technology. Major Chinese cloud companies were still anticipating H20 deliveries by year-end, unaware of the impending restrictions, according to the two sources, who said Nvidia's China sales team also did not appear to be informed ahead of the public announcement. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Nvidia declined to comment. The export controls threaten Nvidia's business in China, one of its largest markets. Nvidia had secured $18 billion of H20 orders since the start of the year, according to one of the two sources and a third source. China generated $17 billion in revenue, or 13% of Nvidia's total sales, in its last fiscal year that ended on January 26. Nvidia shares fell 6% in after-hours trading on Tuesday after it said it would take up to $5.5 billion of charges in the first quarter ending April 27 due to the licensing requirement, which the U.S. government told it on Monday would be indefinite. The charges are associated with inventory, purchase commitments, and related reserves for H20 products, the company said. Chinese tech giants including Tencent, Alibaba and ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, had increased orders for H20 chips amid surging demand for affordable AI models from companies like startup DeepSeek, Reuters reported in February. Alibaba, ByteDance and Tencent did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The H20 is the primary chip Nvidia is legally permitted to sell in China and was launched after the latest round of U.S. export restrictions took effect in October 2023. Washington has banned exports of Nvidia's most advanced chips to China since 2022, concerned that advanced technologies could be used by China to build up its military capabilities. The restrictions on H20 could benefit Chinese AI chipmakers, particularly Huawei, which offers competing products to Nvidia's lineup, analysts said. "By restricting the H20 system, U.S. regulators are effectively pushing Nvidia's Chinese customers toward Huawei's AI chips," said Nori Chiou, investment director at Singapore-based White Oak Capital Partners. "Huawei's chip design and software capabilities are likely to advance quickly as it gains more customers and development experience," Chiou added. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive-TSMC pitched Intel foundry JV to Nvidia, AMD and Broadcom, sources say
By Fanny Potkin, Milana Vinn and Wen-Yee Lee SINGAPORE/NEW YORK/TAIPEI (Reuters) - TSMC has pitched U.S. chip designers Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and Broadcom about taking stakes in a joint venture that would operate Intel's factories, according to four sources familiar with the matter. Under the proposal, the Taiwanese chipmaking giant would run the operations of Intel's foundry division, which makes chips adapted for the needs of customers, but it would not own more than 50%, the sources said. Qualcomm has also been pitched by TSMC, according to one of the sources and a separate source. The talks, which are at an early stage, come after U.S. President Donald Trump's administration requested TSMC, the world's leading contract chipmaker, assist in turning around the troubled U.S. industrial icon, the sources said on condition of anonymity because the talks are not public. The details of the plan for TSMC to take no more than a 50% stake and its overtures to potential partners are being reported for the first time. Any final deal - the value of which is unclear - would need approval from the Trump administration, which does not want Intel or its foundry division to be fully foreign-owned, the sources said. Intel, TSMC, Nvidia, AMD and Qualcomm declined to comment. The White House and Broadcom did not respond to requests for comment. At stake is the future of the U.S. chipmaking giant, whose shares have lost more than half of their value in the last year. Intel reported a 2024 net loss of $18.8 billion, its first since 1986, driven by large impairments. The foundry division's property and plant equipment had a book value of $108 billion as of December 31, according to a company filing. Trump is keen to revive Intel's fortunes, as he seeks to boost American advanced manufacturing, three of the sources said. The sources said TSMC's joint venture pitch was made to potential backers before the Taiwanese chipmaker announced with Trump on March 3 that the company planned to make a fresh $100 billion investment in the United States that involves building five additional chip facilities there in coming years. Talks about the joint venture over Intel's foundry division have since continued, the three sources said, with TSMC looking to have more than one chip designer as a partner. Multiple companies have expressed interest in buying parts of Intel, but two of the four sources said the U.S. company has rejected discussions about selling its chip design house separately from the foundry division. Qualcomm has exited earlier discussions to buy all or part of Intel, according to those people and a separate source. Intel board members have backed a deal and held negotiations with TSMC, while some executives are firmly opposed, according to two sources. Intel's contract manufacturing business, or foundry division, was a crucial part of former CEO Pat Gelsinger's effort to save Intel. Gelsinger was forced out by the board in December, which named two interim co-CEOs who have mothballed its forthcoming AI chip. Any deals between historical rivals TSMC and Intel would face major challenges and be costly and laborious. The two companies currently use vastly different processes, chemicals, and chipmaking tool setups at their factories, according to separate sources at the companies. Intel has previously had manufacturing partnerships with Taiwan's UMC and Israel's Tower Semiconductor that could offer a precedent for the two companies to operate together, but it remains unclear how such a partnership would work regarding trade manufacturing secrets. The Taiwanese chipmaker wants potential investors in the joint venture to also be Intel advanced manufacturing customers, according to one of the sources. Reuters reported last week, citing sources, that Nvidia and Broadcom are running manufacturing tests with Intel, using the company's most advanced production techniques, known as 18A. AMD is also evaluating whether Intel's 18A manufacturing process is suitable for it. But 18A has been an area of contention in negotiations between Intel and TSMC, two sources said. During talks in February, Intel executives told TSMC that its advanced 18A manufacturing technology was superior to TSMC's 2-nanometer process, according to those sources. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive-TSMC pitched Intel foundry JV to Nvidia, AMD and Broadcom, sources say
By Fanny Potkin, Milana Vinn and Wen-Yee Lee SINGAPORE/NEW YORK/TAIPEI (Reuters) - TSMC has pitched U.S. chip designers Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and Broadcom about taking stakes in a joint venture that would operate Intel's factories, according to four sources familiar with the matter. Under the proposal, the Taiwanese chipmaking giant would run the operations of Intel's foundry division, which makes chips adapted for the needs of customers, but it would not own more than 50%, the sources said. Qualcomm has also been pitched by TSMC, according to one of the sources and a separate source. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. The talks, which are at an early stage, come after U.S. President Donald Trump's administration requested TSMC, the world's leading contract chipmaker, assist in turning around the troubled U.S. industrial icon, the sources said on condition of anonymity because the talks are not public. The details of the plan for TSMC to take no more than a 50% stake and its overtures to potential partners are being reported for the first time. Any final deal - the value of which is unclear - would need approval from the Trump administration, which does not want Intel or its foundry division to be fully foreign-owned, the sources said. Intel, TSMC, Nvidia, AMD and Qualcomm declined to comment. The White House and Broadcom did not respond to requests for comment. At stake is the future of the U.S. chipmaking giant, whose shares have lost more than half of their value in the last year. Intel reported a 2024 net loss of $18.8 billion, its first since 1986, driven by large impairments. The foundry division's property and plant equipment had a book value of $108 billion as of December 31, according to a company filing. Trump is keen to revive Intel's fortunes, as he seeks to boost American advanced manufacturing, three of the sources said. The sources said TSMC's joint venture pitch was made to potential backers before the Taiwanese chipmaker announced with Trump on March 3 that the company planned to make a fresh $100 billion investment in the United States that involves building five additional chip facilities there in coming years. Talks about the joint venture over Intel's foundry division have since continued, the three sources said, with TSMC looking to have more than one chip designer as a partner. Multiple companies have expressed interest in buying parts of Intel, but two of the four sources said the U.S. company has rejected discussions about selling its chip design house separately from the foundry division. Qualcomm has exited earlier discussions to buy all or part of Intel, according to those people and a separate source. Intel board members have backed a deal and held negotiations with TSMC, while some executives are firmly opposed, according to two sources. Intel's contract manufacturing business, or foundry division, was a crucial part of former CEO Pat Gelsinger's effort to save Intel. Gelsinger was forced out by the board in December, which named two interim co-CEOs who have mothballed its forthcoming AI chip. Any deals between historical rivals TSMC and Intel would face major challenges and be costly and laborious. The two companies currently use vastly different processes, chemicals, and chipmaking tool setups at their factories, according to separate sources at the companies. Intel has previously had manufacturing partnerships with Taiwan's UMC and Israel's Tower Semiconductor that could offer a precedent for the two companies to operate together, but it remains unclear how such a partnership would work regarding trade manufacturing secrets. The Taiwanese chipmaker wants potential investors in the joint venture to also be Intel advanced manufacturing customers, according to one of the sources. Reuters reported last week, citing sources, that Nvidia and Broadcom are running manufacturing tests with Intel, using the company's most advanced production techniques, known as 18A. AMD is also evaluating whether Intel's 18A manufacturing process is suitable for it. But 18A has been an area of contention in negotiations between Intel and TSMC, two sources said. During talks in February, Intel executives told TSMC that its advanced 18A manufacturing technology was superior to TSMC's 2-nanometer process, according to those sources.
