https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/501904/feed Semiconductors are the cornerstone technology of the information age. These tiny electronic devices, usually smaller than a postage stamp, power the modern economy by acting as data-processing brains for products, from smartphones to cars and spacecraft. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Ann Cao,Vincent Chow Ann Cao,Vincent Chow Artificial intelligence is no longer merely the driving force behind global semiconductor demand, but is also actively reinventing how chips are designed and built, industry leaders and scientists said at a major science forum in Shanghai on Friday. Chen Yunji, co-founder of AI chipmaker Cambricon Technologies, predicted that the integration between AI and chip design would eventually automate the chip design process entirely. “In the [next] 10 years, the most important development … is the RSI... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3372774/ai-fuelled-advanced-chips-set-power-semiconductor-manufacturing-industry-veteran https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3372774/ai-fuelled-advanced-chips-set-power-semiconductor-manufacturing-industry-veteran Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:59:39 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China on Friday hit out at reported US intelligence allegations that a suspected Chinese spy had targeted Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, dismissing the claims as “groundless speculation” aimed at smearing Beijing. “The relevant report is based on groundless speculation and [is] purely aimed at smearing and slandering China,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular media briefing in Beijing. The pushback came after US outlet The New York Times reported on Thursday that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3372743/china-dismisses-us-report-suspected-spy-targeting-nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-groundless https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3372743/china-dismisses-us-report-suspected-spy-targeting-nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-groundless Fri, 30 Oct 2026 10:30:07 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists are less satisfied with their jobs than researchers in any other major country, according to a survey that also found they are more optimistic about their careers than their counterparts in the United States and Britain. Only 51 per cent of the 157 respondents from China said they were satisfied with their jobs, according to the survey published this month in the British scientific journal Nature, down 24 per cent from 2018. The survey drew 3,882 respondents from 133... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372643/chinese-scientists-dissatisfied-jobs-optimistic-about-future-survey-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372643/chinese-scientists-dissatisfied-jobs-optimistic-about-future-survey-says Thu, 29 Oct 2026 22:22:06 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Chinese artificial intelligence chipmaker Iluvatar CoreX claims that its new Tiangai 300 graphics processing unit (GPU) can match and even surpass Nvidia’s H200 in real-world AI workloads, highlighting efforts by domestic players to close the technology gap with the US chip giant. In a live demonstration for mainland Chinese media outlets on Wednesday, the Shanghai-based firm showed the Tiangai 300 outperforming the H200 in complex multimodal tasks, including text-to-image and text-to-video... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3372598/ai-chipmaker-iluvatar-corex-says-new-gpu-matches-nvidias-h200-home-grown-push-accelerates https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3372598/ai-chipmaker-iluvatar-corex-says-new-gpu-matches-nvidias-h200-home-grown-push-accelerates Thu, 29 Oct 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Howard Liu Howard Liu Shares of Chinese semiconductor suppliers Biwin Storage Technology and Moore Threads tumbled on Thursday alongside a broader rout in mainland technology stocks, despite blockbuster third-quarter revenue driven by strong artificial intelligence demand. Both stocks plunged more than 10 per cent during Thursday morning trading, reversing Wednesday’s rallies of 8.4 per cent for Biwin and 5.8 per cent for Moore Threads. By the end of the day, Biwin was down 15.79 per cent and Moore Threads was down... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3372535/google-supplier-biwin-gpu-leader-moore-threads-see-stocks-plunge-despite-revenue-surge https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3372535/google-supplier-biwin-gpu-leader-moore-threads-see-stocks-plunge-despite-revenue-surge Thu, 29 Oct 2026 05:35:00 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix kept almost 80 per cent of its total sales as operating profit last quarter, a margin almost unheard of in manufacturing, as the country’s chipmakers reap the rewards of the global artificial intelligence boom. Operating profit, defined as earnings from the company’s core business before interest and taxes, soared 632 per cent in the three months to September from a year earlier to 83.33 trillion won (US$62.76 billion) on revenue of 104.62 trillion won, SK... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3372439/south-koreas-chipmakers-are-raking-it-can-china-close-gap https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3372439/south-koreas-chipmakers-are-raking-it-can-china-close-gap Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:20 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Huawei Technologies is already integrating elements of the Tau Scaling Law – a new chip design principle that helps the company overcome US export controls – into its wireless communications network, as it pushes for broader adoption across its products. The Chinese tech giant is using the “time compression” concept based on its Tau Scaling Law in its next-generation wireless base stations, according to a company statement released on Wednesday, and the new design is already delivering tangible... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3372454/huaweis-tau-scaling-law-roll-out-reaches-base-stations-blow-us-chip-curbs https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3372454/huaweis-tau-scaling-law-roll-out-reaches-base-stations-blow-us-chip-curbs Wed, 28 Oct 2026 11:00:18 +0000 Sherry Wang Sherry Wang China’s Yangtze River Delta grew faster than the national economy in the first three quarters of the year, accounting for about a quarter of national output – a performance analysts said would help lay the foundation for Beijing to meet its annual national growth target. But they also cautioned that exports and hi-tech manufacturing alone could not sustain longer-term growth without a recovery in sluggish domestic demand. The combined gross domestic product of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3372451/how-chinas-yangtze-river-delta-helping-keep-beijings-gdp-target-track https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3372451/how-chinas-yangtze-river-delta-helping-keep-beijings-gdp-target-track Wed, 28 Oct 2026 10:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Malaysian customs said on Wednesday ⁠that it ⁠had seized about 49.5 ⁠million ringgit (US$12 million) worth of advanced artificial intelligence chips this month, as authorities close in on a syndicate suspected of smuggling high-performance semiconductors through the country’s main airport. Malaysia imposed export controls last year on the movement of advanced AI chips of US origin, following pressure from the United States to stem their flow into China. On October 15, authorities found 30 server... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3372404/malaysia-seizes-smuggled-ai-chips-worth-us12-million-kuala-lumpur-airport https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3372404/malaysia-seizes-smuggled-ai-chips-worth-us12-million-kuala-lumpur-airport Wed, 28 Oct 2026 06:30:31 +0000 Emma Ma Emma Ma A booming semiconductor industry is helping drive a surge in trade in Xian, one of China’s ancient capitals, making it the country’s top performer by trade growth among provincial capitals and provincial-level cities for which data is publicly available. The capital of western China’s Shaanxi province recorded a 115.5 per cent year-on-year surge in trade during the first nine months of 2026. Exports far outpaced imports, climbing 142.1 per cent. Two product categories drove much of that export... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3372316/how-chinas-ancient-capital-staked-claim-nations-fastest-export-growth https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3372316/how-chinas-ancient-capital-staked-claim-nations-fastest-export-growth Wed, 28 Oct 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth An American student considering studying in China attended a briefing with a senior FBI official at a Washington think tank last month to address her concerns about whether such an experience could jeopardise her prospects for a career in the federal government. The official’s message: travelling to China would not automatically disqualify her. She welcomed the clarification but said she wasn’t “completely reassured”. “I’m still wondering if it’s a good idea to go,” said the student, who... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372362/will-china-travel-hurt-american-students-careers-fbi-battles-fears-talent-pipeline-stalls https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372362/will-china-travel-hurt-american-students-careers-fbi-battles-fears-talent-pipeline-stalls Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:56:18 +0000 Han Li,Seong Hyeon Choi Han Li,Seong Hyeon Choi The 2027 US defence bill, covering more than US$1 trillion in proposed defence spending, will be one of the most closely watched pieces of legislation when Congress returns after the midterm elections, with efforts to counter China running through nearly every corner of the text. The US House of Representatives passed its version of the bill, known as the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), in July. The bill faces a tougher path in the US Senate, where a July procedural vote to begin... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372355/5-things-watch-out-2027-us-defence-bill-aimed-countering-china https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372355/5-things-watch-out-2027-us-defence-bill-aimed-countering-china Tue, 27 Oct 2026 20:58:44 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China and Brazil are expected to sustain close economic ties following the re-election of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as president, though his push to strengthen domestic industry and production could complicate the outlook for Chinese companies operating in Latin America’s largest economy, analysts said. Lula defeated right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro in Sunday’s run-off election, securing a fourth, non-consecutive term. Following his victory, Lula told reporters and allies at a hotel in Sao... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3372187/brazil-draws-record-chinese-investment-could-lulas-industrial-strategy-complicate-ties https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3372187/brazil-draws-record-chinese-investment-could-lulas-industrial-strategy-complicate-ties Mon, 26 Oct 2026 13:00:08 +0000 Howard Liu Howard Liu China’s expanding semiconductor industry is fuelling anxiety in South Korea, where a new report from PwC has warned local chipmakers to defend profitability as Chinese rivals scale up production and strengthen market share. Samil PwC, the South Korean member firm of the global consultancy, said in a report made public on Monday that Chinese competition would likely heat up first in the areas of conventional memory, mature-node manufacturing, and packaging and testing. To stay ahead, Samil PwC... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3372138/south-korea-urged-guard-chip-profitability-chinas-cxmt-and-ymtc-gain-market-share https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3372138/south-korea-urged-guard-chip-profitability-chinas-cxmt-and-ymtc-gain-market-share Mon, 26 Oct 2026 07:00:09 +0000 Ben Jiang,Ann Cao,Richard Chen Ben Jiang,Ann Cao,Richard Chen Long before artificial intelligence became the next big thing in the tech industry, Wang Jian was crafting the foundational infrastructure that would eventually power it. In 2008, he joined Alibaba Group Holding – owner of the South China Morning Post – as chief architect and founded Alibaba Cloud in 2009, convincing the company’s leadership to invest heavily in building a cloud computing infrastructure from scratch. Today, Wang’s purview has expanded considerably. As an academician at the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3371979/why-cloud-computing-pioneer-wang-jian-thinks-space-next-ai-frontier https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3371979/why-cloud-computing-pioneer-wang-jian-thinks-space-next-ai-frontier Sun, 25 Oct 2026 22:00:20 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is pitching the concept of “sovereign AI” in Kazakhstan – part of his global crusade urging nations to build domestic computing infrastructure using the firm’s chips – as the energy-rich nation emerges as a US-China battleground for artificial intelligence. Speaking at a fireside chat in Astana on Friday with Kazakh AI and digital development minister Zhaslan Madiyev, Huang said AI was reshaping every industry in a transformation that “affects every single person and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371946/nvidias-jensen-huang-brings-sovereign-ai-push-kazakhstan-shrugs-bubble-fears https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371946/nvidias-jensen-huang-brings-sovereign-ai-push-kazakhstan-shrugs-bubble-fears Fri, 23 Oct 2026 13:00:14 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Chinese artificial intelligence chip giant Cambricon Technologies reported a 147.7 per cent surge in third-quarter profit on Friday, as the country’s aggressive push to replace Nvidia chips continues to fuel high growth among local chipmakers. The Shanghai-listed chipmaker generated 1.4 billion yuan (US$210 million) in net profit for the three months ended September 30, up from 566.6 million yuan during the same period last year. Revenue reached 3.5 billion yuan, an increase of 104.5 per cent... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3371959/cambricons-third-quarter-profit-surges-148-us210m-amid-push-replace-nvidia-chips https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3371959/cambricons-third-quarter-profit-surges-148-us210m-amid-push-replace-nvidia-chips Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:03:10 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier The Asia Society announced on Thursday that it had marked out territory on the Washington policy landscape with the purchase of a US$17.5 million building that will give it a permanent spot alongside other US capital think tanks dating back more than a century, striving for influence. The 70-year-old institution, founded by the grandson of oil mogul John D. Rockefeller, has focused more on public policy in recent years, in addition to its traditional focus on arts, culture and education, under... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371837/asia-society-announces-new-permanent-home-historic-washington-building https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371837/asia-society-announces-new-permanent-home-historic-washington-building Thu, 22 Oct 2026 23:05:58 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Deepening “symbiosis” with artificial intelligence model start-up DeepSeek is helping Chinese tech champion Huawei Technologies catch up with Nvidia’s chip hardware and software ecosystem in a scenario that could mean Jensen Huang’s “nightmare is starting to come true”, according to a new report. DeepSeek’s latest software releases, on top of its increased experimentation with Huawei’s powerful Ascend 950PR chips, reveal that the technological gap with the US is closing, as the two firms... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3371806/jensens-nightmare-huawei-deepseek-narrow-ai-chip-ecosystem-gap-nvidia-report https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3371806/jensens-nightmare-huawei-deepseek-narrow-ai-chip-ecosystem-gap-nvidia-report Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:00:14 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Just two weeks before the US midterm elections, Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he did not believe America would maintain its lead over China in frontier AI indefinitely, describing restrictions on advanced chips as Washington’s key leverage. “I don’t believe for one second that we’re going to maintain a lead over Chinese frontier models forever. But we should for as long as we can,” said Himes at a Brookings Institution event in Washington. “And the one... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371692/top-democrat-says-chip-restrictions-are-key-lever-us-ai-edge-over-china https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371692/top-democrat-says-chip-restrictions-are-key-lever-us-ai-edge-over-china Wed, 21 Oct 2026 20:36:57 +0000 Howard Liu Howard Liu Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is set to take the stage in Berlin on Wednesday, as the world’s most valuable company faces heightened investor scrutiny over whether the massive artificial intelligence spending boom – the engine behind the chipmaker’s meteoric growth – can deliver long-term returns. The conference agenda focuses on sovereign AI, industrial automation and operational infrastructure – key sectors where Nvidia hopes to drive demand beyond the handful of US tech giants currently dominating... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371604/can-nvidia-ceo-deliver-keynote-speech-berlin-his-firm-faces-investor-scrutiny-over-ai https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371604/can-nvidia-ceo-deliver-keynote-speech-berlin-his-firm-faces-investor-scrutiny-over-ai Wed, 21 Oct 2026 06:07:51 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding’s research arm, Damo Academy, has seen more than 6 billion chips shipped based on its XuanTie RISC-V architecture, marking a milestone as the tech giant doubles down on the open standard in artificial intelligence and automotive systems. Meng Jianyi, chief scientist at Damo Academy, announced the figure on Monday at the annual RISC-V Summit China in Shenzhen. The achievement comes as Chinese companies seek to play a greater role in the global RISC-V ecosystem, an... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371402/alibabas-risc-v-ip-powers-over-6-billion-shipped-chips-tech-giant-targets-ai-autos https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371402/alibabas-risc-v-ip-powers-over-6-billion-shipped-chips-tech-giant-targets-ai-autos Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:30:10 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong The US State Department announced on Monday that it was imposing sweeping sanctions under the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act (PAIPA) on five Chinese entities suspected of stealing trade secrets from American companies. The targets include Shanghai Zhisuan Technology, founded by former Google software engineer Ding Linwei, venture capital firm MiraclePlus and three related entities. Ding was convicted of seven counts of trade secret theft in January. A federal judge subsequently... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371434/us-sanctions-5-chinese-entities-over-ex-google-engineers-ai-trade-secrets-theft https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371434/us-sanctions-5-chinese-entities-over-ex-google-engineers-ai-trade-secrets-theft Mon, 19 Oct 2026 22:36:07 +0000 Iris Deng,Howard Liu Iris Deng,Howard Liu Chinese memory chip giant ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) saw its shares fall more than 8 per cent in early Monday trading, despite forecasts of strong profits and plans for a share buy-back amid a global sector-wide market rout. CXMT shares dropped 7.8 per cent on Monday to close at 41.52 yuan. The company’s stock surged to a peak of 61.8 yuan in August – up as much as 614 per cent from its initial public offering price of 8.66 yuan in July – before paring back gains. The market reaction... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371314/cxmt-forecasts-us198-billion-3-quarters-net-income-pledges-share-buy-back https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371314/cxmt-forecasts-us198-billion-3-quarters-net-income-pledges-share-buy-back Sun, 18 Oct 2026 23:30:08 +0000 Iris Deng,Vincent Chow Iris Deng,Vincent Chow China’s proposed export bans and controls of artificial intelligence technologies aim to tighten Beijing’s grip in the strategically vital sector, casting a cloud over the commercial prospects of domestic model developers in the global AI race, analysts say. The new measures come as concerns mount globally over the risks of advanced AI systems, following a string of recent cyberattacks, while also underscoring AI’s growing national security importance for both Beijing and Washington. Zhang Yi,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371247/chinas-proposed-ai-tech-export-bans-may-create-short-term-costs-long-term-gains-analysts https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371247/chinas-proposed-ai-tech-export-bans-may-create-short-term-costs-long-term-gains-analysts Sat, 17 Oct 2026 12:00:11 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Beijing warned Brussels not to “fantasise” that taking a hard line will force it into concessions, as the bloc confirmed plans for a gung-ho new kill switch that will allow Brussels to “immediately” kick China out of the single market. Exactly a week after the two sides struck a surprise deal to restrict the volume of hybrid cars China ships to Europe, the flare-up suggests the threat of a trade war between two of the world’s three biggest economies has far from subsided. “The EU should not... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371217/china-warns-eu-not-fantasise-trade-approach-brussels-confirms-new-kill-switch https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371217/china-warns-eu-not-fantasise-trade-approach-brussels-confirms-new-kill-switch Fri, 16 Oct 2026 22:30:02 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Zhang Tong Lucy Quaggin,Zhang Tong A Republican lawmaker is requesting the Pentagon blacklist 58 Chinese universities and 62 technology labs as national security threats, a move Beijing calls Cold War-style overreach and critics warn could freeze US-China scientific collaboration and ultimately undermine American innovation itself. In a letter to US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar urged the Pentagon to add several prestigious Chinese institutions – some linked to Nvidia,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371212/china-pushes-back-us-lawmaker-seeks-blacklist-universities-and-tech-labs https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371212/china-pushes-back-us-lawmaker-seeks-blacklist-universities-and-tech-labs Fri, 16 Oct 2026 18:21:54 +0000 Alice Li,Howard Liu Alice Li,Howard Liu Dutch semiconductor equipment giant ASML is expanding into next-generation hybrid bonding, a technique that creates dense electrical connections by directly joining chips or silicon wafers, according to a new report. Major Chinese companies are also adopting the technology to improve chip performance. ASML submitted 27 patent families related to hybrid bonding tools between December 2022 and November 2024, according to a report published by semiconductor and AI supply chain research firm... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3371181/asml-eyes-hybrid-bonding-report-finds-chinese-firms-adopt-chip-packaging-technique https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3371181/asml-eyes-hybrid-bonding-report-finds-chinese-firms-adopt-chip-packaging-technique Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:30:12 +0000 Howard Liu Howard Liu Chinese chip and tech firms have flagged as much as six-fold growth in unaudited third-quarter profits, as huge demand for home-grown processors and artificial intelligence infrastructure filters through links in the supply chain amid the country’s push for self-reliance. Shanghai-listed Yuanjie Semiconductor Technology expected its quarterly net profit to land between 403 million yuan and 453 million yuan, up 579 per cent to 660 per cent from a year earlier. The maker of laser chips for optical... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3371159/chinas-ai-boom-self-sufficiency-push-fuel-earnings-surge-local-chip-firms https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3371159/chinas-ai-boom-self-sufficiency-push-fuel-earnings-surge-local-chip-firms Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:30:09 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. US investigates 9 universities over alleged visa fraud, with focus on China The Trump administration launched an investigation into nine US universities over alleged J-1 visa fraud, with officials raising concerns about Chinese scholars and the Chinese government. Read the full story... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370921/blast-simulation-university-probes-robotics-fine-ai-spies-7-us-china-relations-reads https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370921/blast-simulation-university-probes-robotics-fine-ai-spies-7-us-china-relations-reads Thu, 15 Oct 2026 14:00:05 +0000 Howard Liu Howard Liu Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) is in discussions regarding a potential role in Elon Musk’s proposed Terafab project in Texas, according to company chairman and CEO C.C. Wei, although he stressed that TSMC would retain operational control of any partner factory. The plant “has got to be run by TSMC”, Wei said during the third-quarter earnings call on Thursday. TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, has sent teams to Texas to assess expansion opportunities beyond its US hub in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371010/tsmc-confirms-talks-elon-musk-over-texas-terafab-insists-operational-control https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371010/tsmc-confirms-talks-elon-musk-over-texas-terafab-insists-operational-control Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:31:35 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China and the United States are in regular talks about artificial intelligence (AI) as they seek to firm up plans for an incident “hotline” and develop a formalised dialogue process ahead of a presidential summit next month. The two sides aim to agree on a basic framework for addressing AI incidents before Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump meet on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders’ meeting in Shenzhen, the South China Morning... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/tech/tech-war/article/3371013/china-us-discuss-ai-chip-stock-rout-hits-asian-markets https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/tech/tech-war/article/3371013/china-us-discuss-ai-chip-stock-rout-hits-asian-markets Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:27:12 +0000 Emma Ma Emma Ma Three weeks into his tenure as the Communist Party secretary of Anhui province, Li Lecheng carried out an on-site inspection at China’s home-grown memory chip giant ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) on Wednesday, pledging to grow integrated circuits (ICs) as an emerging pillar industry. During the visit to the company’s headquarters in the central province’s capital of Hefei, Li urged CXMT to further refine its product portfolio and actively expand into domestic and overseas markets. He... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3370970/chinas-cxmt-gets-pledge-support-provincial-party-chief-vows-chip-industry-expansion https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3370970/chinas-cxmt-gets-pledge-support-provincial-party-chief-vows-chip-industry-expansion Thu, 15 Oct 2026 06:18:02 +0000 Ann Cao,Howard Liu Ann Cao,Howard Liu A Chinese start-up has unveiled a prototype extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light-source machine – a component often described as the “heart” of advanced lithography systems – marking an early but critical step in Beijing’s drive for self-reliance in chipmaking equipment. At the China International Industry Fair in Shanghai, Langdao Silex displayed its self-developed EUV light-source system. Ninety per cent of the machine’s components were localised, with the vast majority of core parts developed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370966/start-unveils-prototype-heart-euv-lithography-amid-china-chipmaking-push https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370966/start-unveils-prototype-heart-euv-lithography-amid-china-chipmaking-push Thu, 15 Oct 2026 06:01:54 +0000 Han Li Han Li The world is on the cusp of a “China shock 3.0” driven by exports of artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology and robots, which could hit harder than the current wave, a leading economist on China has said. “We are already at the starting point of the China shock 3.0,” Alicia Garcia-Herrero, a senior fellow at Brussels-based think tank Bruegel and chief economist for Asia-Pacific at investment bank Natixis, told the South China Morning Post from Taipei after a virtual panel hosted by the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370925/china-shock-30-be-driven-ai-biotech-and-robot-exports-economist-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370925/china-shock-30-be-driven-ai-biotech-and-robot-exports-economist-says Wed, 14 Oct 2026 22:00:47 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has called a nearly US$1.5 trillion defence budget request “absolutely critical”, warning that whoever falls behind in autonomy, robotics and AI will fall “even further behind” as Washington eyes China’s rapid military modernisation. Speaking at a panel discussion during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition on Wednesday, Hegseth said that Project Agincourt, the Pentagon’s initiative to accelerate drone and autonomous... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/politics/article/3370924/hegseth-calls-us15-trillion-defence-budget-critical-counter-china https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/politics/article/3370924/hegseth-calls-us15-trillion-defence-budget-critical-counter-china Wed, 14 Oct 2026 21:45:00 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Dutch semiconductor equipment giant ASML expects China to account for about 20 per cent of its total sales this year, after seeing shipments to the market more than double during the previous quarter despite mounting US pressure for tighter export restrictions on less advanced chipmaking machinery. The company’s sales to China surged 109 per cent in the third quarter compared with the previous three months, according to financial results released on Wednesday. That took China’s share of ASML’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370904/asmls-chip-equipment-sales-china-soar-109-despite-us-export-curb-push https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370904/asmls-chip-equipment-sales-china-soar-109-despite-us-export-curb-push Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:00:12 +0000 Howard Liu Howard Liu Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation (YMTC), China’s leading flash-memory maker, is set to grow revenue six times faster than its industry peers this year as it expands into server-related business ahead of a planned initial public offering (IPO), according to Counterpoint Research. The company’s server-related revenue was effectively zero in 2024, but could account for nearly 39 per cent of its revenue by 2028, according to the market intelligence firm on Tuesday. Much of the momentum is... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370871/chinese-memory-giant-ymtc-grow-revenue-6-times-faster-peers-ipo-nears-report https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370871/chinese-memory-giant-ymtc-grow-revenue-6-times-faster-peers-ipo-nears-report Wed, 14 Oct 2026 11:00:10 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s integrated circuit (IC) exports surged 136 per cent year on year in September to US$45 billion, exceeding the 108 per cent growth rate in the first nine months of the year in a sign of the country’s rising influence in the global semiconductor supply chain. In September, China exported 32.7 billion units of ICs, according to customs data released on Wednesday, a 1 per cent year-on-year increase in volume. But higher prices fuelled the 136 per cent jump in value amid a memory chip... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3370858/china-chip-exports-jump-136-us45b-ai-frenzy-jacks-prices https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3370858/china-chip-exports-jump-136-us45b-ai-frenzy-jacks-prices Wed, 14 Oct 2026 08:30:11 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Huawei Technologies has shipped more than 100 million devices powered by its Kirin processors since 2023, when it returned to the smartphone market with a new generation of premium handsets. The company says testing of its next-generation Kirin 2027 chip is also progressing in line with expectations. The company disclosed the figure on Tuesday as it unveiled new details about its flagship Kirin 9050 series, the first mass-produced chip using its proprietary LogicFolding architecture, developed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370766/huawei-once-hobbled-us-sanctions-passes-100-million-kirin-chip-milestone https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370766/huawei-once-hobbled-us-sanctions-passes-100-million-kirin-chip-milestone Tue, 13 Oct 2026 13:00:08 +0000 Howard Liu Howard Liu A sharp sell-off in Asian memory chip stocks this week signals growing investor doubts over whether the sector’s AI-driven profit boom can last, even as soaring prices drive strong quarterly earnings across the sector. Shares in market leaders Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix plunged in Seoul on Tuesday, extending a days-long slide that has also swept up Chinese rival ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT). Samsung and SK Hynix closed down 7.4 per cent and 10.1 per cent, respectively. The companies... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3370739/why-samsung-sk-hynix-and-cxmt-shares-are-under-pressure-despite-strong-ai-demand https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3370739/why-samsung-sk-hynix-and-cxmt-shares-are-under-pressure-despite-strong-ai-demand Tue, 13 Oct 2026 10:30:05 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Chinese AI chipmaker Iluvatar CoreX debuted its first supernode system, a computing system that squeezes 144 graphics processing units (GPUs) into a single cabinet, breaking an industrial record. The new product, dubbed the Tiangai 300 IXL144, was unveiled on Monday at the 2026 China International Industry Fair (CIIF) in Shanghai. Designed for large-scale AI model training and inference, the system packs 144 GPUs and 18 central processing units (CPUs) into a single cabinet and boasts around 10.1... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3370711/chinas-iluvatar-corexs-first-ai-computing-supernode-squeezes-most-gpus-1-system https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3370711/chinas-iluvatar-corexs-first-ai-computing-supernode-squeezes-most-gpus-1-system Tue, 13 Oct 2026 09:00:04 +0000 Howard Liu Howard Liu China accounts for about 5 per cent of the equipment and materials directly supplied to the US chip industry when measured by country of manufacture, but its grip on certain rare earths needed for chipmaking is over 90 per cent, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). While 95 per cent of the nearly US$27 billion annual spending by American chipmakers on manufacturing equipment and materials was sourced from companies headquartered in the US, Europe, and Japan, that figure... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3370581/mapping-us-chip-supply-chain-china-accounts-far-more-it-appears-report-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3370581/mapping-us-chip-supply-chain-china-accounts-far-more-it-appears-report-says Mon, 12 Oct 2026 10:00:05 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Chinese memory chip giant ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) has reported “key progress” on a new cell architecture to boost memory density, an innovation that competitors such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are also working on. CXMT planned to roll out a new server-memory product based on the structure by the end of 2026, president Cao Kanyu said at an industrial event in Shanghai over the weekend, according to a company statement. At the centre of the development is the “4F square”... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370505/chinas-cxmt-unveils-key-progress-chip-structure-pursued-samsung-sk-hynix https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370505/chinas-cxmt-unveils-key-progress-chip-structure-pursued-samsung-sk-hynix Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:30:13 +0000 Howard Liu Howard Liu Japanese semiconductor materials giant Sumitomo Bakelite plans to expand production of advanced chip packaging materials in China and Singapore, marking the second such announcement for its Chinese operations in less than four months as artificial intelligence drives demand for more sophisticated semiconductors. The Tokyo-based company said on Friday that it would add production lines for mould underfill (MUF) materials and compression-moulding granules at its facilities in Suzhou, eastern... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3370468/japans-sumitomo-bakelite-expands-china-chip-packaging-materials-output-amid-ai-boom https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3370468/japans-sumitomo-bakelite-expands-china-chip-packaging-materials-output-amid-ai-boom Sun, 11 Oct 2026 03:04:32 +0000 Dhruv Atreja Dhruv Atreja On June 12, two of the world’s most capable artificial intelligence models went dark. An American export directive barred foreigners from using Anthropic’s two flagship AI models, and because the company could not check every user’s nationality, it switched them off. Access returned on July 1 but the warning is clear: India’s AI future can be switched off from Washington. In September, Beijing came calling. At the Brics summit in New Delhi, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised China would “be a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3369950/ai-indias-choice-neednt-be-between-us-leash-or-chinese-hook https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3369950/ai-indias-choice-neednt-be-between-us-leash-or-chinese-hook Sat, 10 Oct 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Notebook manufacturers are being forced to rethink their shift out of China and consider moving production back to the manufacturing hub, as skyrocketing component costs squeeze profit margins, according to market research firm TrendForce. The Taiwan-based firm projected that the share of global notebook production outside mainland China would decline to 21 per cent this year from about 24 per cent in 2025, and drop below 20 per cent in 2027. “This suggests that brands are reassessing the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3370341/soaring-component-costs-force-laptop-makers-rethink-shift-away-china-report https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3370341/soaring-component-costs-force-laptop-makers-rethink-shift-away-china-report Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:30:07 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Chinese state funds are ramping up support for the country’s second-largest contract chipmaker, pouring billions of yuan into the parent of Hua Hong Grace Semiconductor and a new manufacturing facility to fuel Beijing’s drive for self-reliance in mature-node chips. The capital blitz, spanning Hua Hong’s Shanghai-based parent company and a fabrication plant in Wuxi, highlights how government-coordinated financing is doubling down on domestic foundries, as Washington tightens technology... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370297/china-state-funds-double-down-hua-hong-legacy-chip-push https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370297/china-state-funds-double-down-hua-hong-legacy-chip-push Fri, 09 Oct 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Sherry Wang Sherry Wang Chinese authorities have charged a Shenzhen-listed firm and its chairman over smuggling restricted “dual-use” optical lenses out of the country, in a case that lawyers said underscores the growing risk of criminal prosecution for export control violations as Beijing tightens restrictions on strategic materials and technologies. Nanjing Wavelength Opto-Electronic Science & Technology, which manufactures optical components used in infrared thermal imaging, and chairman Huang Shengdi were among... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3370318/china-charges-tech-firm-smuggling-restricted-dual-use-optical-lenses-out-country https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3370318/china-charges-tech-firm-smuggling-restricted-dual-use-optical-lenses-out-country Fri, 09 Oct 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Howard Liu Howard Liu Renewed fears of potential US trade curbs on next-generation optical transceivers for data centres have sent shares of Chinese suppliers tumbling, deepening a sell-off across artificial intelligence supply chain stocks. Shares of Chinese optical chipmakers extended their losses for a second straight session on Friday despite reassurances from major suppliers, while China’s benchmark CSI 300 Index slid 1.3 per cent by the midday break to its lowest level since August last year. Upstream laser... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3370305/chinese-optical-chip-stocks-extend-rout-amid-fears-potential-us-curbs https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3370305/chinese-optical-chip-stocks-extend-rout-amid-fears-potential-us-curbs Fri, 09 Oct 2026 07:13:16 +0000