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Tuesday 19 May 2026
AMD gains Beijing spotlight: China courts Lisa Su for AI chip ties
Shortly after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang left China following a delegation led by US President Donald Trump, Beijing officials swiftly announced a meeting with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) CEO Lisa Su, drawing market attention to a possible shift in the atmosphere surrounding US-China AI chip cooperation
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Wednesday 20 May 2026
Alibaba's T-Head doubles down on AI infrastructure with Zhenwu M890
Alibaba Cloud has unveiled the Zhenwu M890, a new proprietary AI training and inference chip developed by its semiconductor subsidiary T-Head Semiconductor, as the Chinese cloud group accelerates its push into full-stack AI infrastructure for the agentic AI era
Wednesday 20 May 2026
Microsoft advances India data center timeline within expanded regional investment framework
Microsoft's data center expansion in India represents the continuation of a strategic regional investment trajectory, updating previously announced capital commitments rather than introducing new funding. The company is accelerating infrastructure deployment in India's fast-growing AI market, where it competes with Alphabet and Amazon for dominance in cloud services and artificial intelligence
Wednesday 20 May 2026
China's top NAND flash chipmaker YMTC begins IPO tutoring with Chinese banks
China's leading memory chipmakers are accelerating their push into public capital markets, with YMTC Group formally entering IPO guidance on May 19, shortly after domestic DRAM leader CXMT updated its own prospectus filings
Wednesday 20 May 2026
Xiaomi halts ultra-thin smartphone production as memory costs squeeze prices
Xiaomi warns memory costs could push flagship phone prices past CNY10,000 (approx. US$1,468) in 2026, a development that would affect global consumers as higher-capacity models become more expensive and manufacturers adjust portfolios. The company also withheld an ultra-thin, Apple Air-style device after concluding trade-offs would harm battery life and camera performance
Wednesday 20 May 2026
South Korea's defense chips 99% import-dependent as photonic supply chain crisis looms
Photonic semiconductors have become indispensable to modern defense — prized for their ultra-high-speed data processing, high capacity, low power consumption, and exceptional reliability. Yet despite their growing strategic importance, South Korea remains almost entirely dependent on foreign suppliers for these critical components. Industry leaders are now sounding the alarm: as global supply chains fracture along geopolitical lines, photonic semiconductors are no longer just industrial goods — they are national security assets, and South Korea's access to them is far from guaranteed
Wednesday 20 May 2026
Samsung faces major strike after bonus talks collapse

Samsung Electronics faces a major labor disruption after its union said about 48,000 workers would walk off the job on May 21, beginning an 18-day strike after last-ditch government-mediated talks over performance-based bonuses collapsed, according to Reuters and Yonhap News Agency

Wednesday 20 May 2026
Aerospace fastener demand extends into multi-year cycle as NAFCO expands Malaysia capacity amid Boeing ramp-up
Taiwan-based aerospace engine fastener maker National Aerospace Fasteners Corporation (NAFCO) said order visibility has extended to as long as eight to nine years as Boeing accelerates aircraft deliveries and global aerospace supply chains remain under strain. To meet rising demand, the company is expanding production capacity in Malaysia
Wednesday 20 May 2026
Commentary: China hardens AI self-reliance push after Trump-Xi talks
After the Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, China's senior leadership has stepped up inspections of artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing and computing infrastructure, offering a clear signal of where Beijing wants its technology policy to move over the next three years
Wednesday 20 May 2026
South Korea sounds alarm on manufacturing hollow-out as AI server boom lifts Taiwan
As artificial intelligence reshapes the global economy, demand for data centers is rapidly redrawing the export map of nations
Wednesday 20 May 2026
Analysis: Japan's auto giants diverge—who's navigating the storm, and who's still in it
Japan's three largest automakers reported fiscal 2025 results that signal shifting production strategies and significant implications for suppliers across North America and beyond. The outcomes have varied: Toyota and Honda steadied operations amid different pressures, while Nissan moved into deep restructuring after heavy losses
Wednesday 20 May 2026
AMD makes history with first overseas AI DevDay in Shanghai, targeting deeper China partnerships
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) chair and CEO Lisa Su led the company's China team in Shanghai for AMD AI DevDay 2026 on May 19. The event marks the first time it has been held outside the US, drawing large crowds of Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) developers, supply chain partners, and corporate customers
Wednesday 20 May 2026
Rare-earth shadows Boston Dynamics' Atlas ambitions ahead of IPO
Hyundai Motor Group's humanoid robot ambitions are moving closer to commercialization, with Boston Dynamics preparing for a broader capital-market push and factory deployment of its Atlas robot. But analysts warn that China's control over rare-earth supply chains could become a key risk as the company looks to scale production
Wednesday 20 May 2026
China's OSATs chase bigger role as AI chips strain packaging supply

China's OSAT providers are trying to move deeper into advanced packaging as artificial intelligence (AI) demand strains global chip packaging supply, creating an opening for companies that have long played a lower-profile role in the semiconductor value chain

Wednesday 20 May 2026
As Hormuz crisis hits South Korea, Arctic route gains strategic weight
South Korea depends on the Middle East for 70% of its crude oil, and relies heavily on oil refining, petrochemicals, and power generation in its industrial sector. As a result, Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has led to wide-ranging pressures on South Korea's economic security
Wednesday 20 May 2026
CXMT profit surge shows limits of China's DRAM push
ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) is approaching its planned STAR Market IPO with sharply stronger earnings, as a global memory upcycle helps China's leading DRAM maker move closer to offsetting years of accumulated losses