How One Country Became the Unlikely Crossroads of the Global A.I. Boom
Published . Updated .
In Malaysia, U.S. and Chinese tech giants are pouring billions into vast data centers, straining local resources and testing the limits of Washington’s restrictions on advanced chips.
Directly affected
- No company is named in this report.
Indirectly affected
- QQQ Invesco QQQ+2.3% 19d
Invesco QQQ: it holds the big tech and AI names. Linked by “data center” (AI and big tech) in this story.
- AIQ Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF-1.6% 30d
Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF: it holds the big tech and AI names. Linked by “data center” (AI and big tech) in this story.
- SMH VanEck Semiconductor ETF+1.3% 30d
VanEck Semiconductor ETF: it holds chipmakers. Linked by “chips” (semiconductors) in this story.
- KWEB KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF-4.6% 30d
KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF: it holds Chinese internet companies. Linked by “chinese tech” (Chinese tech) in this story.
- FXI iShares China Large-Cap ETF-5.0% 30d
iShares China Large-Cap ETF holds stocks listed in China, which this story is about (“chinese”).
- EWM iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF-0.6% 6d
iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF holds stocks listed in Malaysia, which this story is about (“malaysia”).
- MSFT Microsoft+6.8% 30d
Microsoft (prepackaged software): big tech's AI spending and demand drive its shares. Linked by “data center” (AI and big tech) in this story.
- GOOGL Alphabet-6.3% 30d
Alphabet (computer programming, data processing, etc.): big tech's AI spending and demand drive its shares. Linked by “data center” (AI and big tech) in this story.
Price reaction, T-5 to T+3
| Ticker | T-5 | T-3 | T-1 | T0 | T+1 | T+2 | T+3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QQQ | -1.57% | +0.81% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
| AIQNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| SMH | -6.13% | -0.69% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
| KWEBNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| FXINo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| EWMNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MSFTNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| GOOGLNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Closing-price change versus T-1, the last close before the story. T0 to T+3 fill in after each market close. Prices: Alpaca IEX.
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In Malaysia, U.S. and Chinese tech giants are pouring billions into vast data centers, straining local resources and testing the limits of Washington’s restrictions on advanced chips.
Source: The New York Times
Semiconductors
| Company | When | Move | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| QQQ | three days earlier | +0.81% | final price |
| QQQ | five days earlier | -1.57% | final price |
| SMH | three days earlier | -0.69% | final price |
| SMH | five days earlier | -6.13% | final price |
Congressional trades in the stocks in this story
- Rep. Lisa McClain bought Microsoft (MSFT) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 30 Sep 2026. That is 30 days before publication. Filed 12 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Michael Rulli sold Microsoft (MSFT), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 28 Sep 2026. That is 32 days before publication. Filed 2 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar sold Microsoft (MSFT), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 24 Sep 2026. That is 36 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Pete Sessions sold Alphabet (GOOGL), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 14 Sep 2026. That is 46 days before publication. Filed 18 Sep 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Rohit Khanna sold Alphabet (GOOGL) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 4 Sep 2026. That is 56 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Thomas H. Kean Jr sold Alphabet (GOOGL), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 27 Aug 2026. That is 64 days before publication. Filed 12 Sep 2026. View the filing.
Public disclosure filings, not a recommendation. The filing link is the source document. News use of these reports still sits under 5 U.S.C. § 13107(c).
How solid the semiconductors case looks
12 out of 100
“How One Country Became the Unlikely Crossroads of the Global A.I. Boom” scores 12 out of 100. The score uses 1 sources.