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Wednesday 24 June 2026
Former SMIC CEO targets China photomask IPO after 12-inch wafer bet
Former SMIC CEO Tzu-yin Chiu is extending his semiconductor materials strategy into photomasks, one of the most critical upstream links in chip manufacturing. Guangzhou Xinrui Photomask Technology, also known as New Ray Mask, where Chiu serves as chairman, has begun IPO listing guidance, marking another step in his shift from foundry operations to China's chip materials supply chain.
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Thursday 25 June 2026
ADATA explores Thailand role in AI computing expansion
ADATA Technology is stepping up discussions in Thailand amid rising global demand for AI computing centers. Chairman Simon Chen's visit highlights how Southeast Asia could benefit from expanding AI infrastructure, supporting industrial policy, and strengthening regional cooperation. The company sees Thailand as a possible hub for future growth and technology investment.
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
Samsung eyes Galaxy Ultra for 2nm Exynos 2700

Samsung Electronics' System LSI division is pressing its mobile business to expand adoption of the in-house Exynos 2700 processor beyond the standard Galaxy S27 and S27 Plus models and into the premium Galaxy S27 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 8, according to The Bell.

Wednesday 24 June 2026
China's idle EVs could become AI token factories, says CATL chairman
CATL chairman Robin Zeng said on June 23 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Dalian that many electric vehicles (EVs) in China could be turned into computing infrastructure for the large-scale production of AI tokens by using their onboard batteries and AI chips.