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Thursday 21 May 2026
China memory supplier Biwin's AI photonics funding raises questions about strategy and risk
China's AI infrastructure race is entering a new phase, with industry focus shifting from raw computing power toward data transmission efficiency
Thursday 21 May 2026
Analysis: Lens Technology seeks control of Ju Teng to expand beyond Apple
Lens Technology's bid for control of Ju Teng International Holdings is putting renewed focus on changes in the notebook supply chain, as the Chinese supplier seeks to reduce its reliance on Apple and broaden its product portfolio
Thursday 21 May 2026
Samsung averts strike with last-minute labor deal, but deeper divisions remain
With less than an hour remaining before a planned strike was set to begin, Samsung Electronics and its labor union reached a tentative agreement late on May 20, narrowly avoiding what industry observers estimated could have triggered supply-chain disruptions worth more than KRW100 trillion (approx. US$66.8 billion)
Wednesday 20 May 2026
China's top NAND flash chipmaker YMTC begins IPO tutoring with Chinese banks
China's leading memory chipmakers are accelerating their push into public capital markets, with YMTC Group formally entering IPO guidance on May 19, shortly after domestic DRAM leader CXMT updated its own prospectus filings
Wednesday 20 May 2026
Xiaomi halts ultra-thin smartphone production as memory costs squeeze prices
Xiaomi warns memory costs could push flagship phone prices past CNY10,000 (approx. US$1,468) in 2026, a development that would affect global consumers as higher-capacity models become more expensive and manufacturers adjust portfolios. The company also withheld an ultra-thin, Apple Air-style device after concluding trade-offs would harm battery life and camera performance
Wednesday 20 May 2026
South Korea's defense chips 99% import-dependent as photonic supply chain crisis looms
Photonic semiconductors have become indispensable to modern defense — prized for their ultra-high-speed data processing, high capacity, low power consumption, and exceptional reliability. Yet despite their growing strategic importance, South Korea remains almost entirely dependent on foreign suppliers for these critical components. Industry leaders are now sounding the alarm: as global supply chains fracture along geopolitical lines, photonic semiconductors are no longer just industrial goods — they are national security assets, and South Korea's access to them is far from guaranteed
Wednesday 20 May 2026
Aerospace fastener demand extends into multi-year cycle as NAFCO expands Malaysia capacity amid Boeing ramp-up
Taiwan-based aerospace engine fastener maker National Aerospace Fasteners Corporation (NAFCO) said order visibility has extended to as long as eight to nine years as Boeing accelerates aircraft deliveries and global aerospace supply chains remain under strain. To meet rising demand, the company is expanding production capacity in Malaysia
Wednesday 20 May 2026
South Korea sounds alarm on manufacturing hollow-out as AI server boom lifts Taiwan
As artificial intelligence reshapes the global economy, demand for data centers is rapidly redrawing the export map of nations
Wednesday 20 May 2026
AMD makes history with first overseas AI DevDay in Shanghai, targeting deeper China partnerships
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) chair and CEO Lisa Su led the company's China team in Shanghai for AMD AI DevDay 2026 on May 19. The event marks the first time it has been held outside the US, drawing large crowds of Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) developers, supply chain partners, and corporate customers
Wednesday 20 May 2026
Rare-earth shadows Boston Dynamics' Atlas ambitions ahead of IPO
Hyundai Motor Group's humanoid robot ambitions are moving closer to commercialization, with Boston Dynamics preparing for a broader capital-market push and factory deployment of its Atlas robot. But analysts warn that China's control over rare-earth supply chains could become a key risk as the company looks to scale production
Wednesday 20 May 2026
China's OSATs chase bigger role as AI chips strain packaging supply

China's OSAT providers are trying to move deeper into advanced packaging as artificial intelligence (AI) demand strains global chip packaging supply, creating an opening for companies that have long played a lower-profile role in the semiconductor value chain

Wednesday 20 May 2026
As Hormuz crisis hits South Korea, Arctic route gains strategic weight
South Korea depends on the Middle East for 70% of its crude oil, and relies heavily on oil refining, petrochemicals, and power generation in its industrial sector. As a result, Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has led to wide-ranging pressures on South Korea's economic security
Wednesday 20 May 2026
CXMT profit surge shows limits of China's DRAM push
ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) is approaching its planned STAR Market IPO with sharply stronger earnings, as a global memory upcycle helps China's leading DRAM maker move closer to offsetting years of accumulated losses
Wednesday 20 May 2026
Japan's startup boom draws global capital as top US tech firms accelerate Asia pivot
Plug and Play has closed a 6 billion Japanese yen fund — approximately US$40 million — making it one of the largest first-time seed funds ever raised in Japan, the firm announced on the first day of the Plug and Play May Summit in Sunnyvale
Tuesday 19 May 2026
XPeng introduces mass-produced Robotaxi built on in-house AI chips
XPeng unveiled its first mass-produced robotaxi on Tuesday, marking a major milestone in China's rapidly accelerating race to commercialize Level 4 autonomous driving