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Wednesday 24 June 2026
Alibaba sues US Defense Department over military company label, raising contract and free-speech concerns
Alibaba Group Holding and its US subsidiary filed a suit on June 23, 2026, in federal court in California, seeking to overturn the Department of Defense's designation of Alibaba as a "Chinese military company." The case could affect the company's access to US government contracts and its standing in broader US supply chains.
LATEST STORIES
Thursday 25 June 2026
Kioxia sees Apple fuel NAND memory supercycle, sets sights on US market
Kioxia is preparing to enter the US capital market through American depositary shares (ADS) in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, just as its latest annual report points to accelerating demand for NAND flash memory, SSDs and next-generation storage used in AI and consumer electronics.
Thursday 25 June 2026
China specialty foundry Hua Hong Grace rides 40nm low-power process and Wuxi 12-inch ramp
Hua Hong Grace Semiconductor (HHGrace) is seeing gains from both process technology and capacity expansion, with industry research showing its 40nm ultra-low-power specialty process has entered stable mass production while its Wuxi 12-inch line continues to ramp.
Thursday 25 June 2026
China tightens export controls on strategic minerals with new whistleblower system
China's Commerce Ministry has expanded oversight of strategic minerals and dual-use goods, adding whistleblower channels, reporting rules, and penalties for evasion. The move could affect global supply chains, especially for companies relying on Chinese-sourced inputs, by increasing compliance demands, due diligence costs, and exposure to enforcement risks.
Thursday 25 June 2026
Chinese chip packaging giant JCET plans US$1.1b AI chip packaging plant
JCET Group is accelerating its AI chip packaging expansion with a CNY7.8 billion (US$1.1 billion) investment in a new advanced packaging and testing plant in Shanghai Lingang, strengthening capacity for AI computing, high-performance chips, high-density memory and automotive electronics.
Thursday 25 June 2026
China moves to build helium reserve as Nippon Sanso sets over 30% price hike

Global helium supply is under renewed strain. Nippon Sanso, Japan's largest industrial gas supplier, announced it will raise prices across its helium product line by an average of more than 30% starting July 2026, citing persistent tightness in global supply driven in part by rising geopolitical risks in the Middle East.

Thursday 25 June 2026
TSMC 3nm lead times surpass one year as Samsung faces Intel in foundry push
As demand for AI chips surges, the battle for foundry orders is heating up. South Korean industry sources say the next 2-3 years will be a critical period for Samsung Electronics' foundry business, with its 2028 turnaround target hinging on stable operations at the Taylor plant and landing major orders.
Thursday 25 June 2026
China's 360 unveils AI cybersecurity tools claimed to rival Anthropic's Mythos
Chinese cybersecurity company 360 Security Technology has unveiled a pair of AI-powered cybersecurity tools that it says can match the capabilities of Anthropic's highly restricted Mythos system, marking China's latest effort to narrow the gap with leading US AI technologies.
Thursday 25 June 2026
ByteDance's reported AI chip orders mark breakthrough for Chinese GPU maker Iluvatar CoreX
ByteDance's reported plan to purchase at least 50,000 AI inference chips from Shanghai-based GPU developer Iluvatar CoreX could become one of the most significant commercial wins yet for China's domestic AI chip industry.
Thursday 25 June 2026
SK Hynix eyes record Nasdaq ADR to fund AI memory expansion

SK Hynix said on June 24 its board approved a plan to issue new shares backing American Depositary Receipts on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, targeting up to KRW45.45 trillion (approx. US$29.43 billion) in proceeds for semiconductor facility investment.

Thursday 25 June 2026
Anthropic accuses Alibaba of largest distillation attack on Claude, escalating the US-China AI fight
Anthropic's claim that Alibaba "illicitly" harvested its Claude model marks the biggest alleged case yet of a Chinese firm copying a top US lab, sharpening a national-security debate in Washington over AI intellectual property — even as Anthropic, valued at US$965 billion and eyeing an IPO, feuds with the White House over its own export limits.
Thursday 25 June 2026
China wafer champion turns to US$1.6B overhaul to stop losses
National Silicon Industry Group, China's leading 12-inch silicon wafer maker, has announced a CNY11.45 billion (US$1.6 billion) capital injection into its core subsidiary Shanghai Xinsheng Semiconductor Technology, in a restructuring aimed at easing losses in its wafer business.
Thursday 25 June 2026
China PC shipments fall as Huawei gains ground in weakening market
China's personal computer market weakened in the first quarter of 2026, with shipments down 2% from a year earlier, according to Omdia. The decline reflects softer consumer demand, economic uncertainty, and rising component costs, trends that may affect global PC supply, pricing, and vendor strategy throughout the year.
Wednesday 24 June 2026
Imoo overtakes Samsung to become No. 4 smartwatch brand
Imoo beat Samsung Electronics, Oppo, and Garmin to rank as the world's No. 4 smartwatch brand in global smartwatch sales in the first quarter of 2026. In fact, imoo's global smartwatch shipments have matched Samsung's in recent years, according to Counterpoint.
Wednesday 24 June 2026
China's LineShine supercomputer tops TOP500, but AI lead remains unclear

China's LineShine supercomputer debuted at No. 1 on the June 2026 TOP500 list, announced at the ISC 2026 conference in Hamburg, becoming the first system to sustain more than two exaflops on the standard HPL benchmark using CPUs only. The result marks the first time since 2017 that a China-based system has led the TOP500 ranking, and reflects Beijing's effort to present a frontier computing system built around domestic processors, interconnects, and software.

Wednesday 24 June 2026
CATL's HIMA exclusivity fades in China EV battery shake-up
Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) is reducing its reliance on CATL and broadening its EV battery supply chain, a pragmatic reset driven by cost pressure, delivery targets, and supply risk in China's electric vehicle market.