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China Factor In series
An analytical series on how China’s rise is reshaping competition across Korea’s key industries
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China Factor In series
An analytical series on how China’s rise is reshaping competition across Korea’s key industries
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China’s CXMT begins small-scale HBM3E production: report
Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT has begun producing HBM3E in small quantities and testing it with domestic AI chip developers, according to The Information on Monday. The step could increase competitive pressure on Samsung Electronics and SK hynix even as the Korean memory leaders remain ahead in cutting-edge HBM technology and mass production. Alibaba Group’s chip unit T-Head and Beijing-based Cambricon Technologies are testing CXMT’s high-bandwidth memory with their processors, The Information r
Sept. 1, 2026 - 15:10:26
CXMT announces LPDDR6 mass production ahead of Samsung, SK hynix
China’s CXMT has announced mass production of LPDDR6 memory for Xiaomi’s upcoming 18 Fold, moving ahead of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix in publicly confirming both production and a commercial handset deployment for the next-generation mobile DRAM. CXMT said Saturday that its LPDDR6 had “officially entered mass production” and would debut in the 18 Fold in September. Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun separately confirmed that the company’s new Xring O3 processor would support CXMT’s LPDDR6 and t
Aug. 31, 2026 - 14:57:44
YMTC to boost NAND output as Korean rivals hold back
China’s Yangtze Memory Technologies is forecast to increase NAND wafer output by nearly 25 percent next year, as it seeks to catch up with its Korean rivals, whose major expansions are not expected until 2028. Market tracker Omdia expects YMTC’s annual NAND output will rise by 486,000 wafers, from 2.01 million this year to 2.50 million in 2027, according to industry sources Sunday. The expansion will be driven largely by the company’s third plant in Wuhan, which is scheduled to begin initial ope
Aug. 30, 2026 - 14:18:05
Why YMTC’s NAND rise matters for Samsung, SK hynix
Yangtze Memory Technologies, China’s largest maker of NAND flash memory, has crossed a threshold where Samsung Electronics and SK hynix can no longer dismiss it as a low-end challenger. YMTC filed on Aug. 21 for a Shanghai initial public offering that could raise about $4.9 billion, less than two weeks after Counterpoint Research put it at 14 percent of global NAND shipments in the second quarter, level with Japan’s Kioxia and behind only Samsung and the combined SK hynix-Solidigm group. China’s
Aug. 27, 2026 - 15:35:34
China's CXMT joins SK hynix in race to supply LPDDR6 to Xiaomi
China’s largest memory maker CXMT has emerged as a prospective LPDDR6 supplier for Xiaomi’s new Xring O3 processor, less than a month after SK hynix was reported as Xiaomi’s expected first supplier of the same next-generation mobile memory. The Beijing News reported Tuesday, citing supply-chain sources, that CXMT’s LPDDR6 “will be the first domestically produced memory to be paired with the Xring O3” and enter commercial use. LPDDR6 is the latest low-power DRAM standard for smartphones and other
Aug. 26, 2026 - 14:53:32
BYD’s humanoid push challenges Hyundai’s early lead
The world’s largest electric vehicle giant has officially entered the global humanoid robotics race, expected to leverage its fully integrated battery-to-software supply chain to drive down production costs. The move escalates pressure on early movers such as Hyundai Motor Group, which would need to slash manufacturing costs after commercialization to hold onto its lead. BYD’s robotics playbook is straightforward: establish a foothold with retail and service humanoid robots, then scale rapidly i
Aug. 9, 2026 - 15:03:43
China’s homegrown DUV jolts chip industry, but yield test looms
Recent reports that China has developed its own immersion deep-ultraviolet lithography system have jolted the global semiconductor industry, suggesting that Beijing may be closing one of the most formidable technology gaps maintained by US export controls. Korean experts caution, however, that building the machine is only the first step. China could still need years to prove that the equipment can operate reliably, process wafers at competitive speeds and deliver commercially viable chip yields.
Aug. 6, 2026 - 14:52:03
CXMT nears LPDDR6 validation days after record IPO
Chinese memory maker ChangXin Memory Technologies has reached a key stage in developing next-generation mobile memory, industry sources said, less than a week after its Shanghai debut made it the most valuable company listed on a mainland Chinese exchange. Chinese business outlet Yicai reported Saturday, citing unnamed industry sources, that a core CXMT affiliate had brought its first LPDDR6 chip to what the outlet described as the "tail end" of research-and-development validation, an important
Aug. 3, 2026 - 14:49:48
Where CXMT’s IPO money is going: The DRAM gap Korea left
ChangXin Memory Technologies surged 472 percent at the opening of its Shanghai debut on Monday, briefly becoming China’s most valuable domestically listed company with a market capitalization of about 3.3 trillion yuan ($487 billion). But the line that matters most to Korea’s memory industry has been hiding in plain sight for months. In its listing prospectus, CXMT said it would deploy 29.5 billion yuan. Nearly 70 percent, or 20.5 billion yuan, goes to wafer lines and upgrading DRAM processes it
July 27, 2026 - 14:41:30
Chinese EV makers turn Korea into global test bed
Chinese EV makers are turning South Korea into their next battleground, using cut-rate pricing and advanced software to challenge Hyundai Motor Group on its home turf. With BYD and Zeekr already gaining traction, XPeng, NIO and other brands are lining up to enter a market increasingly seen as a test bed for global expansion. According to industry sources on Monday, XPeng is recruiting a head of Korean operations, officially signaling its entry to Korea. After establishing XPeng Motors Korea on J
July 20, 2026 - 14:50:04
China's CXMT eyes memory's 'Big 3' with $8.5b IPO
China’s ChangXin Memory Technologies is throwing its hat into the ring with a roughly $8.5 billion initial public offering as it seeks to challenge the dominance of Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and Micron Technology. Set to list on Shanghai’s STAR Market on July 27 in the largest flotation by a Chinese chipmaker, CXMT is using the offering as a global debut, billing itself as China’s largest and the world’s fourth-largest DRAM maker by capacity despite a far smaller market share than the indust
July 19, 2026 - 16:41:21
China plays for control in Korean gaming
For years, Chinese investment in South Korea's gaming industry followed a familiar formula. Chinese technology giants provided capital, secured publishing partnerships and accumulated minority stakes in leading game makers, while Korean founders of each game developer retained management control. This pattern, however, recently took a vigilant turn, putting stakeholders on notice. Wemade — a Korean game developer best known for its massively multiplayer online role-playing game, or MMORPG, franc
July 14, 2026 - 15:53:16
Why Apple wants Chinese memory it can't use
When Apple raised MacBook and iPad prices by up to 20 percent last month, wiping $263 billion off its market value in a day, it blamed "unsustainable" memory prices. Then it went to Washington to ask permission to buy DRAM from a Chinese company sitting on a Pentagon blacklist. Kim Yang-paeng, a semiconductor researcher at the state-run Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade, does not think Apple actually wants to buy these chips. He thinks it wants to be seen trying. "From the consu
July 9, 2026 - 15:09:19
AI's energy crunch exposes China's battery edge
The global race for artificial intelligence is running into an unexpected bottleneck: electricity. As AI data centers drive a surge in demand for energy storage systems, the US is confronting an uncomfortable reality. Powering its AI ambitions increasingly depends on lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, batteries — a technology overwhelmingly dominated by China. Despite Washington's efforts to reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains, Beijing retains a commanding lead in LFP batteries, which have bec
July 6, 2026 - 15:12:42
Samsung and LG's next China battle: Robot vacuums
Once a niche appliance, robot vacuum cleaners have become a test of whether Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics can regain ground in a fast-growing Korean market increasingly shaped by Chinese rivals. China's strength in the sector is reflected in trade data. Figures from the General Administration of Customs of China showed China exported 11.32 billion yuan ($1.67 billion) worth of robots in the first quarter. Cleaning robots, a category newly added to customs product codes this year, accoun
July 5, 2026 - 10:43:31
