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Wednesday 4 February 2026
China's memory makers abandon low-price strategy: DRAM, NAND near Korean levels
Recent market speculation has claimed that China's memory producer CXMT is triggering a price war by offloading DDR4 at deep discounts. Supply chain sources, however, said CXMT has largely pivoted to DDR5 process development, keeping only around 10,000 wafers of DDR4 capacity for a handful of long-term customers, making large-scale, low-priced dumping into the open market unlikely
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Wednesday 4 February 2026
Nvidia's HBM4 tests near completion as SK Hynix ramps 1b DRAM
SK Hynix is accelerating production of 1b DRAM for high-bandwidth memory as quality testing of Nvidia's next-generation HBM4 nears its final stage, according to Korean media and industry sources
Wednesday 4 February 2026
Taiwan prioritizes global partnerships in trade
Officials from Taiwan's Ministry of Finance are attending the 2026 APEC Finance and Central Bank Deputies' Meeting (FCBDM) in Shanghai from February 4-5, just after opposition Kuomintang (KMT) leaders led business representatives to Beijing for a cross-strait exchange forum on February 3. Some argue that Taiwan should not deepen ties solely with the US to avoid losing economic resilience, emphasizing the need to maintain trade and investment relations with China
Wednesday 4 February 2026
Defending the crown: Samsung and LG leverage AI and Micro RGB to counter Chinese rivals in appliances and displays
As Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics prepare for 2026, both South Korean technology leaders are sharpening their competitive edge by embedding artificial intelligence (AI) across displays and home appliances. Beyond hardware upgrades, their strategies increasingly rely on subscription and leasing models, platform ecosystems, and an expanded Micro RGB TV lineup, signaling a shift toward service-oriented growth and deeper customer engagement
Wednesday 4 February 2026
Alibaba's Quark glasses escalate China's push against Meta and Samsung
Alibaba Group's launch of its Quark artificial intelligence glasses has intensified competition in the global market for AI-powered wearables, as Chinese technology companies step up efforts to challenge a category where US firms led by Meta Platforms have taken an early lead
Wednesday 4 February 2026
Samsung to tear down birthplace of its chip business at Giheung campus for new R&D center

Samsung Electronics is dismantling a key building at its Giheung campus as part of plans to construct a large-scale advanced research center, according to Hankyung. The site, known as SR5, is regarded as the birthplace of the company's semiconductor business and the location where Samsung developed its 65-megabit DRAM in 1992

Wednesday 4 February 2026
Samsung Electro-Mechanics poised to enter Nvidia NVSwitch substrate supply chain

Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) has secured its first supply role with Nvidia, the world's leading GPU manufacturer, to provide high-end flip chip ball grid array (FC-BGA) substrates for NVSwitch systems. According to South Korea's Seoul Economic Daily, the agreement marks the company's first engagement as a supplier of these specific components to Nvidia

Wednesday 4 February 2026
Aito's surge lifts Seres to front of China's EV race

After Huawei transferred the "Aito" brand and related patents to Seres for CNY2.5 billion (approx. US$359 million), Seres has rapidly consolidated its position in China's fast-growing new-energy vehicle (NEV) market. While Huawei no longer owns the brand, it continues to provide Seres with technical and marketing support, including smart cockpit systems and advanced driver-assistance technologies

Wednesday 4 February 2026
China leads the humanoid robot supply chain, with 2026 sales forecast to jump
Morgan Stanley is bullish on China's humanoid robot market, forecasting sales to surge 133% year-over-year to 28,000 units in 2026. As supply-chain costs decline and mass production accelerates, humanoid robots are expected to gain initial traction in industrial applications before expanding into consumer markets over the next decade
Wednesday 4 February 2026
South Korea tops China, Taiwan in Micro LED, but supply chain dependence looms
South Korean panel makers are about one to two years ahead of competitors in China and Taiwan in Micro LED driving and assembly technologies, according to analysts. However, the country remains heavily reliant on overseas suppliers for chips and backplanes, making supply-chain independence an increasingly pressing issue
Wednesday 4 February 2026
South Korean startup Mippia tackles music copyright and plagiarism risks in AI
As generative AI enters the creative process and music material becomes easier to use, the music industry faces escalating copyright and plagiarism challenges. South Korean startup Mippia focuses on music IP protection, combining AI expertise with a deep understanding of music production to offer quantifiable, explainable detection tools that reduce disputes over plagiarism and clarify responsibilities for AI-generated content
Tuesday 3 February 2026
Huawei-linked Hubble invests in automotive chipmaker Norelsys pre-IPO

Norelsys (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. has begun IPO counseling after filing registration for listing guidance with the Tianjin branch of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, according to regulatory disclosures

Tuesday 3 February 2026
Shanghai fast-tracks 'Oriental IC Port,' adds fourth-gen semiconductors to roadmap

China is pushing ahead with its semiconductor materials strategy. Shanghai, one of the country's leading cities, has included brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and fourth-generation semiconductors among its priority future industries, signaling early preparation for a new materials era beyond third-generation semiconductors

Tuesday 3 February 2026
ByteDance reportedly eyes 2Q26 launch for new Doubao phone with dual-track partnerships
Tencent CEO Pony Ma sharply criticized the Doubao phone as "extremely unsafe and irresponsible" at the company's year-end meeting in late January 2026. However, recent reports from China's supply chain reveal that ByteDance launched the official version project of its Doubao phone assistant at the end of 2025, aiming to release a next-generation model in the second quarter of 2026
Tuesday 3 February 2026
Japan's TDK leans on premium batteries while rare earth supply risks deepen
Despite delivering solid earnings, Japan's TDK Corporation warned that China's tighter rare earth export controls are heightening supply chain risks, placing growing procurement pressure on manufacturers dependent on critical minerals and pushing geopolitical tensions into the electronic materials sector
Tuesday 3 February 2026
China bans hidden EV door handles, forcing industry-wide redesigns

China has stepped up electric vehicle safety regulation, with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology approving a new mandatory national standard, Technical Requirements for Automobile Door Handle Safety (GB 48001-2026). The rules require all EVs sold in China to feature independently operable mechanical door-opening mechanisms on both the inside and outside, banning designs that rely entirely on electronic systems or concealed handles