Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association president Wong Siew Hai raised his 2026 forecast for the country’s electrical and electronics exports to above 900 billion ringgit (about $223 billion), citing stronger-than-expected AI-driven demand. He had expected exports to top 800 billion ringgit in Q2. Wong said tech product exports in the first seven months of 2026 rose 44% YoY to roughly 564 billion ringgit, representing about 48% of Malaysia’s total exports; semiconductors account for nearly t

South Korean stocks fell on Friday and look set for a second straight weekly decline as AI-driven trading cooled after NVIDIA issued guidance and investors stayed cautious ahead of the Jackson Hole symposium. The KOSPI dropped 0.8% on the day and was down about 1% for the week. Heavyweights: Samsung Electronics -2.2%, SK Hynix -1.8%, LG Energy Solution -0.8%; Hyundai Motor +0.2%, Kia +0.6%. The KOSPI remains over 62% higher year-to-date.

On Aug 27, 2026, PBOC deputy governor Lu Lei told the 15th China Payment and Clearing Forum that global tech innovation and AI development are accelerating and China’s payment industry is at a critical stage of transformation to lift quality and efficiency. He urged market participants to balance development with security, fully implement the Self‑regulatory Convention on AI‑agent payment applications, strengthen consumer protection and risk prevention, diversify payment instruments and the payment ecosystem, and elevate the payment and clearing sector to better support high‑quality economic growth.