DIGITIMES Asia news

Friday 9 January 2026

Iluvatar CoreX IPO highlights China's race to scale general-purpose GPUs

Shanghai Iluvatar CoreX Semiconductor, a Chinese general-purpose GPU developer, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange's Main Board on January 8, 2025. Shares were priced at HKD144.6 (US$18.5), raising about HKD3.7 billion (US$474 million). The stock jumped 31.5% at the open to HKD190.2, lifting its debut valuation above HKD47.5 billion, signalling investor demand for China's domestic compute hardware

Friday 9 January 2026

AMIES Technology acquires SMEE affiliate in US$32m deal, clarifying China's lithography split

China's domestic lithography sector is entering another phase of internal restructuring, with AMIES Technology consolidating industrial assets originally spun out from Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment (Group) Co., Ltd. (SMEE). Corporate filings and Shanghai Securities News show that AMIES has acquired 100% of Shanghai Weiyao Industrial Co. for CNY228.5 million (US$32.5 million), replacing SMEE as the sole shareholder. The transaction completes SMEE's exit from Weiyao while keeping the asset within the SMEE-origin corporate structure

Friday 9 January 2026

Commentary: China redirects AI race to manufacturing systems

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with eight other government departments, has released the plan for "AI + Manufacturing." While framed as an industrial upgrade policy, it functions in practice as a strategically significant AI roadmap

Friday 9 January 2026

Commentary: How fragile is the China–Japan semiconductor supply chain?

China has intensified pressure on Japan's supply chains. Following curbs on dual-use items and rare earth exports, the Ministry of Commerce has launched an anti-dumping probe into Japanese-origin dichlorosilane (DCS)

Friday 9 January 2026

China turns to rare earths in escalating Japan dispute

China said on January 6, 2026, that it would tighten export controls on so-called "dual-use" goods bound for Japan, a move that state media suggested could extend to rare earth materials, intensifying concerns about supply disruptions across Asia's industrial supply chains

Friday 9 January 2026

China tightens export controls on rare earths, alarming Japan and South Korea

China has stepped up export controls affecting military and civilian sectors, with potential restrictions on rare earth products to Japan causing significant unease. Japanese industries, particularly automotive and electronics, are evaluating the possible consequences amid uncertainties about the scope of the new Chinese measures

Friday 9 January 2026

Commentary: China's DCS probe against Japan shows where substitution is viable

China's Ministry of Commerce said on January 7, 2026, that it has launched an anti-dumping investigation into Japanese-origin dichlorosilane (DCS). While framed as a routine trade-remedy case under existing rules, the decision reflects a more specific reality in the semiconductor materials supply chain: China now has domestic fallback capacity in this critical process material, allowing policymakers to act selectively at a sensitive juncture

Friday 9 January 2026

Carmakers circumvent Beijing's pricing ban with creative discounts

Barely a month after China's top market regulator moved to clamp down on price wars, the policy's resolve is already showing signs of strain

Friday 9 January 2026

China tests US-Japan-South Korea alliance with export controls

China is testing the extent of support US President Donald Trump would extend to Japan by imposing export controls on the country, just months after Trump boasted that he had solved the rare earth issue for the whole world. Beijing has announced a ban on exports of all dual-use items that could potentially be used for military purposes. The move could impact approximately 40% of China's exports to Japan and pose a threat to its automotive industry, which relies heavily on rare earths. Shortly following this announcement, China launched an anti-dumping investigation into dichlorosilane, a key chipmaking material originating from Japan

Friday 9 January 2026

Limited H200 access signals Beijing's calibrated approach to foreign AI technology due to security concerns

China is preparing to approve limited imports of Nvidia's H200 AI chips as early as this quarter, potentially reopening a key market for the US chipmaker while maintaining strict national security safeguards, according to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter

Friday 9 January 2026

How China's carmakers are pushing imported cars to the margins

China's market for imported passenger cars continues to shrink, underscoring a profound shift in consumer preferences and industrial power. According to the latest data from the China Automobile Dealers Association, cumulative passenger car imports totaled about 440,000 vehicles through November 2025. This represents a decline of 29.7% from a year earlier

Friday 9 January 2026

Samsung Foundry eyes auto chips for growth beyond data centers

Samsung Electronics is positioning its contract chipmaking business to win automotive orders, a move industry analysts view as a practical entry point into the emerging "Physical AI" market. While TSMC remains the leader in AI processors for data centers, Samsung is focusing on the specific demands of vehicles and robotics

Friday 9 January 2026

China targets 2027 self-sufficiency in core AI technologies

Amid escalating US–China technology competition, China at the start of 2026 formally unveiled new objectives for its AI industrial policy. Eight government bodies, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), jointly released an implementation plan for "AI + Manufacturing." The plan sets a clear target: by 2027, China aims to secure a fully "safe and reliable" domestic supply of core AI technologies and integrate three to five general-purpose large language models (LLMs) deeply into manufacturing and other industrial sectors

Friday 9 January 2026

South Korean startup WARP Solution advances Wi-Fi-like wireless charging

South Korean startup WARP Solution is advancing the commercialization of radio frequency (RF) wireless power transfer (WPT) chips and components, via applications such as electronic shelf labels (ESL). The company has already begun collaboration and validation efforts with consumer electronics brands such as Samsung Electronics and is showcasing its products at CES 2026, aiming to expand partnerships worldwide

Thursday 8 January 2026

CES 2026: Power shift on display as TCL takes center stage while Samsung steps back

CES 2026 opened on January 6 (Pacific Time), offering not only a snapshot of technology trends but also a clear signal of shifting industry power. Ahead of the show, industry watchers had widely expected Japanese and South Korean brands to scale back. DIGITIMES on-site reporting confirms that Samsung Electronics and SK Group — both major Central Hall exhibitors in 2025 — were absent from the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) this year, with their former prime locations taken over by Chinese companies led by TCL

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