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Friday 20 March 2026
China's AI robot industry surges on market freedom and strategic autonomy
Despite lacking the industrial legacy of Japan and Germany, China has rapidly built its AI robotics sector into a formidable force, posing as a subtle challenge to US technological dominance. Tien-Chong Cheng, chairman of Aurotek, attributes this swift growth to two key drivers: maintaining high market competition and freedom, and allowing the industry itself to shape development strategies
Thursday 19 March 2026
Samsung Electro-Mechanics rumored to supply MLCCs to top private aerospace firm
Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) is reportedly supplying multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC) for low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to the world's largest private aerospace company. According to industry sources, this expansion from the automotive and industrial sectors into aerospace is a significant step for the company, as it demonstrates that its components have gained global recognition for durability and reliability
Thursday 19 March 2026
SK Hynix posts record pay, R&D, and capex in 2025
Driven by the AI dividend and a robust semiconductor market, SK Hynix's average employee annual salary reached KRW185 million (approx. US$124,494) in 2025, up 58.1% year-over-year to set a new high. At the same time, the company also broke records for R&D investment and capital expenditure (capex)
Thursday 19 March 2026
China's photoresist push moves from lab wins to mass supply
China's semiconductor materials localisation is shifting into commercial scale, with domestic photoresist suppliers moving from pilot validation to mass supply, marking a turning point in one of the chip industry's most tightly controlled segments
Thursday 19 March 2026
Nexperia's China split sends orders to Taiwan
Nexperia's China unit has begun producing power semiconductors on 12-inch wafers. The move marks a decisive break from its Dutch headquarters and is sending ripple effects across global supply chains
Thursday 19 March 2026
US reveals Tesla battery deal with LG, lifting veil on supply chain
US government disclosures have shed unusual light on a closely guarded corner of the electric vehicle supply chain, confirming that LG Energy Solution signed a battery supply agreement worth KRW6 trillion (approx. US$4 billion) with Tesla in July 2025
Thursday 19 March 2026
Tencent to double AI spending on 13% revenue growth as chip curbs reshape capex
Tencent is preparing a sharp escalation in artificial intelligence investment, with plans to more than double spending to over CNY36 billion (US$5.2 billion) in 2026, even as chip export restrictions have disrupted its earlier capital expenditure strategy
Thursday 19 March 2026
AMD, Samsung deepen AI chip ties with HBM4 supply and foundry talks

AMD CEO Lisa Su met Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong on March 18, the same day the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to expand semiconductor cooperation, signalling a broader push into AI chips, memory, and foundry services

Thursday 19 March 2026
Column: OpenClaw pulls AI from cloud to the edge
OpenClaw's rapid rise has pushed "lobster-raising" from a niche developer trend into a cross-industry race spanning chips, hardware, and end devices
Thursday 19 March 2026
Column: OpenClaw ignites China's AI agent land grab
OpenClaw's "lobster-raising" wave is moving from developers into China's internet and software sectors at speed in early 2026. Unlike earlier large-model races centred on parameters and compute, this AI agent cycle is defined by a single question: who controls the user entry point
Thursday 19 March 2026
Analysis: China's on-device AI chipmakers rush to supply OpenClaw, race for edge AI silicon leadership
OpenClaw is forcing a rethink of the AI hardware stack, shifting the locus of deployment from cloud-based interaction to autonomous, always-on agents running locally on devices
Thursday 19 March 2026
China's mature-node push gathers pace: Nexchip, Silan, Hua Hong step up capacity and integration

China's semiconductor strategy is shifting from leading-edge competition to strengthening mature and specialty nodes. Facing geopolitical pressure and supply chain fragmentation, domestic foundries are accelerating investment in 28nm-class technologies, analog chips, and vertically integrated ecosystems

Thursday 19 March 2026
BYD slides as foreign automakers reclaim ground in China
China's auto market is undergoing a sharp realignment in early 2026, as the phaseout of government subsidies exposes deeper competitive strengths — and weaknesses — among the industry's leading players
Thursday 19 March 2026
Samsung strike vote nears, DS and DX divisions clash over bonuses
As Samsung Electronics' union members vote on whether to strike, market attention is shifting from the labor negotiations themselves to the disparities in benefits and potential conflicts of interest between the company's two core business groups: Device Solutions (DS) and Device Experience (DX)
Thursday 19 March 2026
Samsung reportedly broadens emergency management as chipflation takes off
Samsung Electronics has reportedly expanded emergency management measures across several key business units as rising semiconductor prices and component costs pressure profitability, according to South Korean media reports