By Newspot Nigeria Tech and Asia Correspondent
As the world quietly observed the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, Hong Kong once again found itself under heavy police surveillance, revealing the city’s ongoing political tightrope walk under the shadow of China’s National Security Law.
Despite the suppression of public mourning since 2020, some pro-democracy residents found subtle ways to honor the June 4th victims. In a symbolic gesture, a shop sold white candles for HK$6.40, and others placed white flowers at Victoria Park, only to be swiftly removed by police. Even mundane behavior, like chewing gum with hands in pockets, drew suspicion from security forces. The most alarming case involved a white Porsche with license plate “US 8964”, which Hong Kong police stopped and detained for a second year in a row. The owner has since fled the city, citing family harassment.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s streets reflect deeper shifts in both demographics and consumption trends. Local journalist Cissy from Nikkei Asia observed a growing dominance of Chinese-made electric vehicles such as BYD, Xpeng, Maxus, and Zeekr, signaling a transformation in the region’s auto ecosystem amidst the intensifying EV price war on the mainland.
In the global tech arena, Donald Trump’s new directive targeting China’s semiconductor supply chain is rattling major firms. The move orders U.S. electronic design automation (EDA) firms to cease sales to Chinese companies, cutting off vital software tools used in advanced chipmaking. Chinese giants like Xiaomi, Lenovo, and Bitmain, all of which rely on Taiwan-based TSMC and U.S. software, now face production roadblocks. Xiaomi, in particular, had just celebrated the unveiling of a self-designed 3nm chip, now vulnerable to supply disruptions.
Amid this, Huawei’s resilience strategy is becoming clearer. Since facing U.S. sanctions in 2019, the tech giant has poured investments into over 60 domestic chip startups via its venture arm Hubble. Huawei’s aim: build a self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem that can weather Western restrictions. Some of its partners, such as SiCarrier, even operate under local government umbrellas to ensure support.
Still, global collaboration remains a bright spot. SoftBank and Intel have teamed up with Japanese researchers to develop a next-gen AI memory chip, projected to cut power usage by 50%—a timely innovation as AI energy demands skyrocket.
TSMC, the world’s top chip foundry, echoed optimism despite macroeconomic risks. CEO C.C. Wei confirmed a record profit forecast for 2025, largely fueled by AI chip demand. He noted recent talks with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to accelerate production capacity. Wei also addressed Trump directly during funding discussions, saying a lower figure than $100 billion “wouldn’t even make Trump open his eyes.”
As technology, politics, and security continue to intersect, Hong Kong’s somber anniversary reminds us that progress in one arena does not erase unresolved truths in another.
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