Dispatches from Rest of World: October 30

Here are this week's biggest stories in tech from the regions that we cover. For more exclusive content, sign up for Rest of World's weekly global newsletter.

Image source: Amazon launched a program for Indian handicrafts. Local artisans say it’s not working

China

The U.S. government is investigating suspected attempts by Chinese hackers to access data from the phones of Donald Trump and JD Vance. Authorities confirmed that they are investigating “unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by actors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China,” without providing details. Meanwhile, the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center said that it has observed Chinese operatives targeting down-ballot Republican candidates and members of Congress. Together, the two reports suggest that Beijing doesn’t want another Trump presidency. — Joanna Chiu from Vancouver

Latin America

Shein is targeting the 73% of adult Mexicans who don’t have access to credit by launching a credit card with Stori, a local fintech unicorn. Until now, Mexicans without credit cards have found creative ways to get their hands on Shein products. There’s a whole economy of people who buy and resell items from the website. At the same time, Stori is looking for more ways to attract new customers as it competes with Brazilian digital bank Nubank. —? Daniela Dib from Mexico City

South Asia

Last week, Nvidia held a three-day summit in India, where it announced several partnerships with local companies. The biggest among them was an agreement to supply AI processors to Reliance Industries. India’s largest IT firm, Tata Consultancy Services, will work with Nvidia to bring tech solutions that help customers adopt AI faster and at scale. The American tech giant is also working with Indian e-commerce company Flipkart to improve its customer service chatbots. —? Ananya Bhattacharya from Mumbai

Southeast Asia

Thai manufacturers are increasing pressure on the government to better regulate e-commerce platforms. The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), the biggest lobbying body, has called for foreign platform operators to be registered as legal entities, and for closer scrutiny of the low-cost goods being sold. These goods are hurting local manufacturers, creating safety concerns and raising waste management issues, the FTI said. Elsewhere in the region, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines have imposed higher import tariffs on e-commerce purchases. —? Rina Chandran from Bangkok