Manila Strategy Forum 2026
September 9 – 10, 2026
Hosted by Southeast Asia Program
PacTech Pulse: September 2026
Photo: CSIS
Dear Subscriber,
We are writing to let you know that Pac Tech Pulse will conclude following our September 2026 edition, having completed one year of coverage of policy changes ranging from Artificial Intelligence to Quantum Technology across the Indo-Pacific.
We are grateful for your engagement and encourage you to continue following our work at the CSIS Chair on India and Emerging Asia Economics at csis.org.
Thank you for reading.
Artificial Intelligence
China releases ethical guidelines for artificial intelligence (AI) medical imaging research. The guidelines outline six core principles: enhancing human welfare, promoting fairness, respecting human autonomy, protecting privacy and data security, ensuring safety and controllability, and strengthening transparency.
Source:CGTN
In detail: Press Release
Date: August 28, 2026
Japan releases new guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence in law and juridical work. According to the guidelines, the use of AI to support literature research, document preparation, whistle blowing investigations, business restructuring and shareholders' meetings will not violate attorney law in principle, provided that the AI model is not designed for use in disputes such as lawsuits and does not have features or functions for such use, and that there are measures in place to prevent inappropriate use.
Source: Nippon
Date: August 21, 2026
Japan adopts a “Principles Code” on intellectual property protection (IPP) for generative artificial intelligence operators. The Code, while not legally binding, is designed to boost transparency related to AI and promote both the protection of intellectual property rights and innovation. The code also covers overseas operators that provide AI systems and services in Japan.
Source: Nippon
In detail: Principles-Code for Protection of IPP and Transparency for the Appropriate Use of Generative AI
Date: August 25, 2026
South Korea establishes ethical principles to guide the development and use of artificial intelligence. The nonbinding guidelines, established under the AI Basic Act, apply across all areas of society and identify three core values: human dignity, the public good and the sustainability of humanity. Seven principles are set to uphold these values: human-centeredness, protection of privacy, fairness and inclusivity, accountability, safety, reliability and transparency.
Source: KBS World
Date: August 24, 2026
Vietnam prohibits every arm of the national government from uploading classified documents to public AI platforms. The directive also mandates compliance with Vietnam's existing state secret protection laws, its Cybersecurity Law, and the National AI Ethics Framework that took effect on March 10, 2026.
Source: Tech Times
Date: August 14, 2026
Vietnam issues an artificial intelligence (AI) education framework for school students, along with guidelines for its implementation starting in the 2026-2027 academic year. The AI education framework is structured into two components: core content and extended content.
Source:Vietnam Net
In detail: MOET Press Release
Date: August 21, 2026
Vietnam approves amendments to the Publishing Law that expressly prohibit using artificial intelligence to commit illegal acts in publishing. The law takes a two-track approach to artificial intelligence. It encourages publishers to adopt AI, electronic publishing, digital infrastructure, and other technologies while making clear that AI cannot be used to evade existing legal restrictions or responsibility for published material.
Source: Journalism Pakistan
Date: August 25, 2026
Australia bans largely or wholly AI-generated songs from its official music charts, requiring releases to be "substantially human made." The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) says the new rules are designed to "promote the human nature of artistry" as AI-generated tracks increasingly find their way onto streaming services, radio stations and even the charts.
Source: Euro News
Date: August 25, 2026
South Korea adopts the use of “AI-friendly reports” across its operations, encouraging civil servants to produce simpler, more text-oriented documents that artificial-intelligence systems can more easily understand and process. The initiative is part of an effort to embed AI more deeply into government work and reduce the time officials spend formatting documents rather than using the information in them.
Source: Korea Bizwire
Date: August 24, 2026
Energy Technology
India issues draft Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Act (SHANTI) Rules. The rules come eight months after the Indian Parliament overhauled the country’s nuclear laws to attract private firms and investment to a sector it sees as crucial to meeting its net zero goal by 2070. The SHANTI Act ended the state’s monopoly over nuclear power generation.
Source: Energy connects
Date: August 15, 2026
Pakistan approves amendments to the "National Electricity Plan (NEP) 2023–27" and the high-level design of an "Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) 2027–60.” The revised plan covers integrated energy planning, expansion of generation and transmission capacity, renewable electricity supply to remote areas, cross-border electricity trade, tariff reforms and energy conservation. The amended plan also proposes reforms in system and market operations, risk identification and management, administrative arrangements, development of domestic capacity in fuel and energy technologies, research and development, and digitization of the power sector.
Source: Energy Update
In detail: Press Release
Date: August 19, 2026
Thailand announces the removal of a 2,000-megawatt cap on direct clean power trading for data centers, opening the previously restricted scheme to every industry seeking renewable electricity. The decision allows any company, from semiconductor manufacturers to exporters, to strike direct deals with clean power producers rather than buying exclusively through the state utility.
Source: Nation Thailand
Date: August 29, 2026
Semiconductors
China revises regulations protecting integrated-circuit layout designs, tightening registration standards and allowing punitive damages for serious infringement. The rules cover detailed layouts that determine how components are arranged within chip - designs that can reflect substantial engineering work and are central to semiconductor development even for companies that do not manufacture chips themselves.
Source: Reuters
In detail: Press Release
Date: August 03, 2026
Biotechnology/Pharmaceuticals
Vietnam approves a biotechnology development plan in agriculture and environment. The plan aims to develop biotechnology into a key foundational sector that drives innovation in agriculture and promotes an environment growth model based on science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation
Source: VCCI
In detail: Press Release
Date: August 03, 2026
Medical Technology
India includes the European Union (EU) in its list of recognized regulatory jurisdictions under its Medical Devices Rules, 2017. The provision currently recognizes the United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Japan. With the inclusion of the European Union, eligible medical devices that have already been approved in the EU will be able to benefit from the waiver provisions, facilitating faster patient access to advanced medical technologies in India.
Source: Mint
In detail: Press Release
Medical Devices (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026
Medical Devices (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026
Date: August 24, 2026
South Korea revises its Regulation on the Approval, Certification, Notification, Review and Evaluation of Digital Medical Products, to speed up the market entry of medical artificial intelligence (AI) products. It will reduce regulatory uncertainty for companies by clearly distinguishing between cases that require clinical trial data and cases that can be approved with performance verification data alone, while expanding the real-world use waiver for generative AI-based medical devices.
Source: Seoul Economic Daily
Date: August 28, 2026
Aerospace Technology
China releases the Implementation Plan for the Development of International Aviation Hubs, the Procedures for the Selection of Designated Operators for International Aviation Hubs and the Procedures for Evaluating International Aviation Hubs and Their Operators. These three documents form China's framework for building a tiered system of world-class international aviation hubs by 2050, covering how hubs will be developed, which airlines and operators will be formally designated to run them, and how their performance will be evaluated.
Source: CAAC Press Release
Date: August 18, 2026
India’s National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) issues guidelines to govern the reentry of space objects into Earth’s atmosphere. The agency said that any planned reentry of a space object by an Indian entity, “within or outside Indian territory”, will now require permissions from IN-SPACe.
Source: The Print
In detail: Authorization Guidelines
Date: July 29, 2026
Quantum Technology
Nothing critical to report this month.
