https://www.scmp.com/rss/503786/feed Che Pan joined the SCMP in 2020 and covers China tech news with a focus on semiconductors and AI. Previously, he covered China's economy at Caixin. Che graduated from Sciences Po Paris with a master degree in financial regulations and risk management. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Che Pan Che Pan ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), China’s leading producer of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips, has advanced its manufacturing technology to 16 nanometres, narrowing the gap with industry giants Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Micron Technology. The Hefei-based company has developed a consumer-grade chip using the advanced chipmaking node, a notable achievement amid ongoing US sanctions, according to a report from Canadian integrated circuits (IC) research firm TechInsights. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3296794/chinas-top-memory-chip-maker-cxmt-narrows-tech-gap-leaders-samsung-hynix-micron?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3296794/chinas-top-memory-chip-maker-cxmt-narrows-tech-gap-leaders-samsung-hynix-micron?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jan 2025 09:30:08 +0000 Zhou Xin,Che Pan Zhou Xin,Che Pan The first major casualty of the success of Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up DeepSeek has turned out to be Nvidia, whose stock slumped 17 per cent on Monday amid fears that innovations from the Hangzhou-based firm could reduce the industry’s reliance on the US firm’s advanced chips. While Nvidia rebounded in pre-trading on Tuesday, analysts noted a shift in the perception of the company’s role in costly AI development driven by graphics processing units (GPU), threatening one of the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3296625/what-deepseeks-success-means-nvidia-and-costly-gpu-driven-ai-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3296625/what-deepseeks-success-means-nvidia-and-costly-gpu-driven-ai-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jan 2025 13:00:13 +0000 Zhou Xin,Che Pan,Ben Jiang Zhou Xin,Che Pan,Ben Jiang Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up DeepSeek has gone quiet this week as it enters “holiday mode” for Lunar New Year while its recent technological developments continue to send shock waves through Wall Street and Silicon Valley, prompting reflections about current industry strategies and business models. DeepSeek’s rapid rise in AI has attracted attention across the Pacific this week with comments from US President Donald Trump and OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman, after stocks... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3296606/chinese-ai-start-deepseek-breaks-lunar-new-year-its-success-rocks-wall-street?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3296606/chinese-ai-start-deepseek-breaks-lunar-new-year-its-success-rocks-wall-street?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jan 2025 09:29:59 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC), China’s leading flash memory chip manufacturer, has achieved a significant technological breakthrough despite US sanctions, amid Beijing’s push for technological self-sufficiency, according to a report by TechInsights. YMTC has implemented its new Xtacking4.0 memory chip design in its highest-density 3D NAND chip, which was discovered in the commercial ZhiTai TiPro9000 solid-state storage device, according to a recent report from Canadian integrated circuit... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3296452/top-chinese-memory-chip-maker-ymtc-makes-another-design-breakthrough-defying-us-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3296452/top-chinese-memory-chip-maker-ymtc-makes-another-design-breakthrough-defying-us-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jan 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan The world’s most advanced contract chipmaker has severed its ties with a Singapore-based company after a client review exposed a potential breach of US export controls, according to people familiar with the matter. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) ended its relationship with PowerAIR, a low-key Singaporean firm, following a client check triggered by the discovery of a TSMC chip in a Huawei Technologies artificial intelligence (AI) processor, three sources said. PowerAIR is the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3294199/tsmc-cuts-ties-singapore-firm-over-chip-found-huawei-processor-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3294199/tsmc-cuts-ties-singapore-firm-over-chip-found-huawei-processor-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jan 2025 06:00:14 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan The US government may unveil new restrictions targeting China’s black-market trade in advanced chips during the last week that President Joe Biden is in the White House, according to sources familiar with the matter. The South China Morning Post reported earlier that Washington plans to issue a new rule by the end of December 2024 aimed at curbing Chinese companies’ sourcing of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips from unrestricted third-party countries. But sources briefed on the matter... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3293328/chip-war-us-may-unveil-new-rules-limiting-chinas-access-ai-chips-biden-leaves-office?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3293328/chip-war-us-may-unveil-new-rules-limiting-chinas-access-ai-chips-biden-leaves-office?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jan 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan China’s Hua Hong Semiconductor, the country’s second-largest chip foundry, has hired a former Intel veteran as its new president amid a management reshuffle. The Shanghai-based chipmaker, which specialises in mature node technology, said in a stock filing on Thursday that it hired Intel’s former global vice-president Bai Peng, 62, as its new president on a three-year contract. Bai will take over the president’s role from Tang Junjun, who will remain chairman and executive director of Hua Hong... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3293130/chinas-no-2-chip-foundry-hua-hong-names-former-intel-veteran-new-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3293130/chinas-no-2-chip-foundry-hua-hong-names-former-intel-veteran-new-president?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jan 2025 07:00:12 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan In this third industry briefing in SCMP Plus’s China Future Tech series, senior reporter Che Pan takes a look at China’s semiconductor sector amid the tech war between China and the US. While there’s no exact date when the tech war between China and the US began, everyone agrees it was during the first administration of Donald Trump, with semiconductors at the vanguard of hostilities. While the temperature in bilateral relations has fluctuated, the rivalry has generally intensified since May... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3292758/plus-exclusive-chinas-chip-sector-finds-path-global-leadership-closed-all-sides?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3292758/plus-exclusive-chinas-chip-sector-finds-path-global-leadership-closed-all-sides?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Dec 2024 08:51:51 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan Huawei Technologies’ latest series of flagship smartphones contains memory chips made by South Korean semiconductor supplier SK Hynix, according to research firm TechInsights, as Chinese-made options remain limited amid a US-led export ban on advanced chipmaking equipment to the mainland. In a teardown report published last week, analysts at the Canadian firm said they found SK Hynix’s 12-gigabyte low-power mobile DRAM and 512GB NAND inside a Huawei Mate 70 Pro handset. The higher-end Mate 70... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3292261/huaweis-new-flagship-smartphones-use-south-korean-memory-chips-not-chinese-ones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3292261/huaweis-new-flagship-smartphones-use-south-korean-memory-chips-not-chinese-ones?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Dec 2024 02:00:14 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan Huawei Technologies’ new Mate 70 smartphones feature an in-house designed processor that does not show major improvements, indicating the Chinese tech champion’s ongoing struggles over US sanctions that restrict its access to advanced semiconductors, according to a new report. The Mate 70 Pro+, one of four models in the latest Mate 70 series released last month, features the Kirin 9020 system-on-chip, according to a report published on Wednesday by Canadian semiconductor research firm... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3290532/huaweis-new-mate-70-smartphone-chip-not-major-redesign-teardown-report-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3290532/huaweis-new-mate-70-smartphone-chip-not-major-redesign-teardown-report-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Dec 2024 13:00:11 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan The US government plans to issue a new rule before the end of this month aimed at curbing Chinese companies’ sourcing of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips from unrestricted third-party countries, according to sources. The new export control measure will focus on controlling the global shipments of powerful graphics processing units (GPUs) that have become instrumental in the training of AI models, closing loopholes in existing rules, according to two people familiar with the matter,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3290435/chip-war-us-plans-cap-countries-semiconductor-access-targeting-chinese-smuggling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3290435/chip-war-us-plans-cap-countries-semiconductor-access-targeting-chinese-smuggling?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Dec 2024 05:00:13 +0000 Che Pan,Ann Cao Che Pan,Ann Cao US artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant Nvidia could face a fine of up to US$1 billion under Beijing’s antitrust probe, which was widely seen as a retaliatory move against Washington’s escalated chip restrictions, according to experts. The investigation will apply the country’s antimonopoly law to Nvidia’s 2019 acquisition of Israeli interconnect products and solutions provider Mellanox Technologies, according to a statement from China’s State Administration for Market Regulation on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3290190/nvidia-faces-us1-billion-fine-if-china-probe-finds-violation-antitrust-laws-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3290190/nvidia-faces-us1-billion-fine-if-china-probe-finds-violation-antitrust-laws-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Dec 2024 12:00:12 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan China’s top developer of chip design systems has ceded control to its largest state-owned shareholder after the firm was put on a US trade blacklist, signalling growing government oversight of the semiconductor industry as Washington continues to tighten restrictions. Beijing-based Empyrean Technology – China’s top alternative to US-based Cadence, Synopsys and Siemens EDA, which dominate the electronic design automation (EDA) tool market – said in a corporate filing on Monday that its board of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3290156/chinas-top-chip-design-tool-maker-cedes-control-state-owned-firm-after-us-blacklisting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3290156/chinas-top-chip-design-tool-maker-cedes-control-state-owned-firm-after-us-blacklisting?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Dec 2024 11:00:11 +0000 Xinmei Shen,Che Pan Xinmei Shen,Che Pan China’s antitrust regulator has launched an investigation into American semiconductor giant Nvidia in an apparent move to hit back at the US government’s escalated chip restrictions. Nvidia, which has complied with US regulations in restricting exports of advanced chips to China, is suspected of violating China’s antimonopoly law in its US$6.9 billion acquisition of Israeli interconnect products and solutions provider Mellanox Technologies, the State Administration for Market Regulation said in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3290035/china-market-watchdog-launches-probe-us-semiconductor-giant-nvidia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3290035/china-market-watchdog-launches-probe-us-semiconductor-giant-nvidia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Dec 2024 12:03:44 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan The US spared China’s top producer of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) from its latest round of chip export restrictions because of opposition from Japan, according to sources. The US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security on Monday imposed an export ban on China over 24 types of chipmaking equipment and three categories of software essential for semiconductor development. It also added 140 Chinese companies to the Entity List, barring them from accessing products and tools... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3289594/chip-war-us-exempts-some-chinese-firms-curbs-concession-japan-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3289594/chip-war-us-exempts-some-chinese-firms-curbs-concession-japan-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Dec 2024 04:30:08 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan China’s chip ambitions are being tested again as fresh US sanctions, the third escalation in three years, hit more broadly across the semiconductor supply chain, industry insiders said. The US Commerce Department, which oversees export controls, added 140 Chinese chip-related organisations to a trade blacklist and placed additional restrictions on China’s access to semiconductor manufacturing tools in a major escalation by Washington to cripple China’s chip technology progress. Compared with... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3289191/chip-war-chinas-semiconductor-supply-chain-faces-though-test-amid-broader-us-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3289191/chip-war-chinas-semiconductor-supply-chain-faces-though-test-amid-broader-us-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2024 13:00:14 +0000 Xinmei Shen,Coco Feng,Che Pan Xinmei Shen,Coco Feng,Che Pan China’s state-backed bodies covering internet companies, semiconductor firms, automakers and communications network operators have called on their respective members to shun chips from US suppliers in an apparent retaliation against Washington’s latest sanctions, which could deal a blow to the mainland businesses of Nvidia, Qualcomm and Intel. The four bodies – the Internet Society of China, the Chinese Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the China Semiconductor Industry Association and the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3289200/china-industry-bodies-call-caution-buying-us-chips-amid-latest-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3289200/china-industry-bodies-call-caution-buying-us-chips-amid-latest-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2024 11:15:53 +0000 Ann Cao,Che Pan Ann Cao,Che Pan Chinese semiconductor companies newly added to a US trade blacklist said the business impact of Washington’s latest sanctions will be manageable, according to corporate filings. Beijing-based chip design tool developer Empyrean Technology, one of the 140 Chinese organisations added this week to the so-called Entity List compiled by the US Commerce Department, said the impact is “generally controllable”. Shares of the Shenzhen-listed company gained 3 per cent on Tuesday morning. The core... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3289112/chip-war-chinese-firms-play-down-fresh-us-sanctions-tout-local-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3289112/chip-war-chinese-firms-play-down-fresh-us-sanctions-tout-local-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2024 05:29:57 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan Sales of Huawei Technologies’ latest flagship Mate 70-series smartphones are expected to fall short of the demand generated by the Mate 60, according to analysts, citing the new model’s weaker processor performance and heightened supply chain risks amid geopolitical tensions. The Mate 70 was launched last Tuesday at an event in Shenzhen, where Huawei consumer business group chairman Richard Yu Chengdong touted the new series as “the most powerful Mate phones in history”. Yu did not mention any... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3288816/huaweis-mate-70-sales-be-limited-modest-chip-update-no-android-support-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3288816/huaweis-mate-70-sales-be-limited-modest-chip-update-no-android-support-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Dec 2024 06:00:17 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan China’s semiconductor industry is bracing for new shocks, as the US prepares to add several major chip equipment and materials suppliers on the mainland to its trade restriction list, dealing a fresh blow to the country’s push for technological self-reliance, according to two people familiar with the matter. Several chip fabrication plants and manufacturing partners of Huawei Technologies, which has been under US sanctions since 2019, will be among roughly 200 Chinese companies included in the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3288406/tech-war-new-us-chip-sanctions-deal-fresh-blow-chinas-self-reliance-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3288406/tech-war-new-us-chip-sanctions-deal-fresh-blow-chinas-self-reliance-push?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Nov 2024 04:00:09 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan China’s efforts to develop home-grown artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors are facing fresh setbacks as the US prepares to implement new rules restricting South Korean exports of advanced memory chips to Chinese companies. The mainland would find itself in a difficult position if the supply of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips from South Korea is cut off by new US restrictions because of the lack of domestic alternatives, according to industry insiders. HBM chips, dynamic random-access... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3288205/tech-war-chinas-ai-hopes-face-fresh-setbacks-us-set-restrict-advanced-memory-chip-exports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3288205/tech-war-chinas-ai-hopes-face-fresh-setbacks-us-set-restrict-advanced-memory-chip-exports?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Nov 2024 12:00:13 +0000 Fiona Sun,Che Pan Fiona Sun,Che Pan The head of US chipmaker Nvidia has pledged to maintain the company’s presence in mainland China despite rising geopolitical tensions, while also highlighting the country’s unique strengths in capitalising on artificial intelligence (AI) and trends that have upended industries from medicine to robotics. Jensen Huang on Saturday also encouraged Hong Kong’s university students to pursue a career at his company as he and movie legend Tony Leung Chiu-wai received honorary doctorates at the Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3287841/nvidia-ceo-vows-keep-china-presence-tony-leung-spills-stardom-secrets-uni-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3287841/nvidia-ceo-vows-keep-china-presence-tony-leung-spills-stardom-secrets-uni-event?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Nov 2024 07:24:10 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan European chip giant STMicroelectronics (STM) said it will outsource the fabrication of legacy semiconductors to China’s second-largest foundry, in a deal that strengthens China’s role in the legacy chip sector. STM chief executive Jean-Marc Chery said at the company’s annual investor day in Paris on Wednesday that the firm will use Hua Hong Semiconductor to make 40-nanometre industrial microcontrollers (MCUs) for the mainland Chinese market starting next year, as part of a strategy to manage the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3287555/chinas-no-2-foundry-make-legacy-chips-europes-stm-serving-mainland-auto-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3287555/chinas-no-2-foundry-make-legacy-chips-europes-stm-serving-mainland-auto-market?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Nov 2024 13:00:16 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan Chinese chip industry experts and investors have congregated in Beijing for one of the largest annual chip forums to discuss the impact of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) cutting advanced foundry services for some mainland clients and the outlook for the country’s chip sector under a new Donald Trump administration in the US. Despite US threats of more sanctions, China should be bullish about developments in advanced semiconductors and generative artificial intelligence (AI)... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3287277/tsmcs-move-cut-chinese-chip-firms-weighs-annual-beijing-semiconductor-forum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3287277/tsmcs-move-cut-chinese-chip-firms-weighs-annual-beijing-semiconductor-forum?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2024 01:00:10 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan China’s integrated circuits (IC) output grew at a slower pace in October, pointing to weak demand in the domestic chip sector ahead of an expected tightening of US sanctions in President Joe Biden’s final months in office. China’s IC output, a broad measure of semiconductor production, grew 11.8 per cent year on year last month to reach 35.9 billion units, according to data published on Friday by China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). It was down slightly from 36.7 billion units in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3286749/chinas-legacy-chip-production-slows-october-possibility-new-us-sanctions-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3286749/chinas-legacy-chip-production-slows-october-possibility-new-us-sanctions-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Nov 2024 12:45:08 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan China’s largest chip-packaging company has made a sweeping reshuffle of its board after a state conglomerate became its major shareholder, in the latest corporate shake-up in the mainland semiconductor industry. Gao Yonggang, a Chinese chip industry veteran and chairman of Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Tech (JCET), resigned from the company’s board along with two other directors, Peng Jin and Zhang Chunsheng, the Shanghai-listed firm said in a filing on Thursday. Their departure comes after... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3286586/chinas-top-chip-packaging-firm-sees-major-board-shake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3286586/chinas-top-chip-packaging-firm-sees-major-board-shake?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Nov 2024 12:00:09 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan Chinese semiconductor start-up Moore Threads Intelligence Technology, helmed by a former Nvidia China executive, has started the process for an initial public offering (IPO), while enthusiasm in the chip industry remains high amid Beijing’s push for technological self-sufficiency. The company, which specialises in designing graphics processing units (GPUs), has hired Chinese investment bank Citic Securities to start the pre-IPO “tutoring” process, the China Securities Regulatory Commission... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3286352/chip-war-chinas-gpu-start-helmed-former-nvidia-executive-kicks-pre-ipo-process?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3286352/chip-war-chinas-gpu-start-helmed-former-nvidia-executive-kicks-pre-ipo-process?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Nov 2024 09:00:09 +0000 Che Pan,Wency Chen Che Pan,Wency Chen Mainland China’s chip design firms are anxiously waiting for any further updates from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), after the world’s most advanced contract chip manufacturer paused 7-nanometre node services for some artificial intelligence (AI) chip clients in the world’s largest semiconductor market by consumption. TSMC last week told graphics-processing-unit (GPU) and AI-accelerator clients on the mainland that their access to advanced processing services would be halted... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3286204/chinas-tech-firms-fear-bigger-curbs-tsmc-stops-ai-chip-supply-us-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3286204/chinas-tech-firms-fear-bigger-curbs-tsmc-stops-ai-chip-supply-us-order?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Nov 2024 13:00:08 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan A Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer, founded by a veteran of Nvidia’s mainland operations, has become a joint-stock company that paves the way for its initial public offering (IPO), even as the US continues to tighten tech restrictions. The capital base of Moore Threads Technology, a Beijing-based graphics processing unit (GPU) start-up, on October 29 swelled to 330 million yuan (US$46 million) from 24 million yuan previously, while its corporate status was changed to a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3286061/us-sanctioned-moore-threads-chinas-ai-chip-unicorn-moves-closer-possible-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3286061/us-sanctioned-moore-threads-chinas-ai-chip-unicorn-moves-closer-possible-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Nov 2024 09:00:13 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, told its graphics-processor and AI-accelerator clients in mainland China that the company will no longer produce advanced chips for them, according to a person familiar with the matter. TSMC said in a notice sent earlier this week that it will stop accepting orders requiring the processing of advanced nodes at 7-nanometre or smaller from those customers starting next week, according to the source, who is... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3285805/tsmc-halts-advanced-chip-orders-mainland-china-after-us-export-curbs-evasion-source?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3285805/tsmc-halts-advanced-chip-orders-mainland-china-after-us-export-curbs-evasion-source?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Nov 2024 11:00:13 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan The chief executive of China’s top foundry said on Friday that the company cannot take full advantage of surging demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips because of US restrictions on advanced-node technologies. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) co-CEO Zhao Haijun made the comments the day after the chipmaker reported record revenue in the third quarter owing to strong demand for “legacy chips” such as those used in electric vehicles (EVs). US sanctions have... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3285717/us-chip-restrictions-hinder-ai-ambitions-chinas-top-chip-foundry-ceo-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3285717/us-chip-restrictions-hinder-ai-ambitions-chinas-top-chip-foundry-ceo-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Nov 2024 09:00:10 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan China’s top chip foundry, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), on Thursday posted record quarterly revenue on the back of strong domestic demand for “legacy chips”. The Shanghai-based chipmaker said its third-quarter revenue rose 34 per cent from a year earlier to US$2.17 billion. Net profit for the quarter reached US$148.8 million, up 58.3 per cent from a year earlier. “The company achieved for the first time more than US$2 billion in quarterly revenue during the third... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3285639/tech-war-chinas-top-foundry-smic-posts-record-revenue-despite-us-sanction-warning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3285639/tech-war-chinas-top-foundry-smic-posts-record-revenue-despite-us-sanction-warning?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Nov 2024 13:44:26 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan Artificial intelligence (AI) chip start-up Biren Technology, considered key to China’s efforts to reduce reliance on US chipmaker Nvidia, said it has significantly increased the performance of its hardware when training large language models (LLMs) by working with a Tencent Holdings-backed supplier of computing power, or compute. Biren, which Washington placed on a trade blacklist last year, has conducted a “deep” collaboration in LLM development and reasoning with Infinigence AI, boosting the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3285451/chinese-ai-chip-start-biren-sees-performance-boost-teaming-tencent-backed-firm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3285451/chinese-ai-chip-start-biren-sees-performance-boost-teaming-tencent-backed-firm?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Nov 2024 12:00:07 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan China’s crowded and closed generative artificial intelligence (AI) market, in which at least 100 large language models (LLMs) are jostling for attention and revenues, is facing consolidation, according to analysts. One implication is that China’s AI start-ups will pivot to revenue-generating applications instead of pouring resources into basic research, an approach that would differentiate them from the US. “We saw a lot of debates this year whether the market will become saturated due to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3284853/chinas-crowded-and-closed-generative-ai-market-facing-shakeout-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3284853/chinas-crowded-and-closed-generative-ai-market-facing-shakeout-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Nov 2024 12:00:12 +0000 Xinmei Shen,Che Pan Xinmei Shen,Che Pan Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone brand that has ventured into electric-vehicle (EV) making, has introduced a US$114,000 luxury sports car that consumers found to resemble a Ferrari, and which company founder Lei Jun praised as “amazing”. The SU7 Ultra, launched on Tuesday and selling for 814,900 yuan, is Xiaomi’s second car release after it jumped into China’s crowded EV market in March with its debut models, the SU7, SU7 Pro and SU7 Max, marking one of the most widely-watched business... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3284501/xiaomi-unveils-us114000-ferrari-lookalike-luxury-car-venture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3284501/xiaomi-unveils-us114000-ferrari-lookalike-luxury-car-venture?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Oct 2024 11:00:20 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan Huawei Technologies is expected to launch its new flagship smartphone Mate 70 next month, as a resurgence in its premium handset business intensifies its rivalry with Apple and major Chinese competitors, according to local media reports and a supply chain source familiar with the matter. If confirmed, the launch will offer fresh evidence that the Shenzhen-based tech giant, which briefly overtook Samsung Electronics and Apple in global smartphone shipments before it was hit by US sanctions, is... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3284454/huawei-gears-launch-new-flagship-smartphone-model-mate-70-next-month-source?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3284454/huawei-gears-launch-new-flagship-smartphone-model-mate-70-next-month-source?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Oct 2024 10:00:16 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan When a Canadian research firm found that Huawei Technologies’ multi-chiplet artificial intelligence (AI) processor Ascend 910B contained dies made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), it shed light on possible loopholes in US sanctions and China’s persistent efforts to access advanced foundry technologies, according to analysts. “US long-arm sanctions on China’s semiconductor sector have proven to be porous,” said Arisa Liu, a research fellow and director at the Taiwan Institute... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3283947/tsmc-tech-huaweis-ai-chips-raises-questions-about-porous-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3283947/tsmc-tech-huaweis-ai-chips-raises-questions-about-porous-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2024 02:00:12 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan A Canadian firm’s teardown report of an artificial intelligence (AI) offering by Huawei Technologies has raised fresh questions about whether the Chinese tech giant skirted US sanctions by using a chip made by the world’s most advanced fab, a development that could lead to further scrutiny. TechInsights, an Ottawa-based semiconductor industry research firm, published the report last week detailing its teardown of Huawei’s most popular AI processor, the Ascend 910B. The firm attempted to identify... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3283543/tech-war-tsmc-chips-found-huaweis-ai-processors-open-firms-fresh-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3283543/tech-war-tsmc-chips-found-huaweis-ai-processors-open-firms-fresh-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Oct 2024 13:00:15 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan Chinese tech firm Xiaomi has been credited for designing the nation’s first 3-nanometre smartphone chip, but the company has stayed silent on the matter. Tang Jianguo, chief economist of the municipal economy and information technology bureau in charge of Beijing’s hi-tech industry, said Xiaomi successfully “taped out” China’s first 3-nm-grade mobile chip, in a news report aired by state broadcaster Beijing Radio and Television Station (BRTV) on Sunday. No details were given. Tape-out refers to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3283264/tech-war-chinese-official-praises-xiaomis-chip-design-smartphone-giant-keeps-mum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3283264/tech-war-chinese-official-praises-xiaomis-chip-design-smartphone-giant-keeps-mum?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Oct 2024 14:00:08 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan Tesla’s plan to roll out its advanced driver-assistance package in China could face delays because of issues around mapping and data security, according to local media. Tesla has Chinese government support for trialling some self-driving features, but a launch is hindered by the fact that no full self-driving (FSD) systems have been approved for use in the country, state-owned newspaper China Daily reported on Friday, citing industry sources. Regulatory departments are still vetting issues... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3282876/teslas-autonomous-driving-roll-out-china-could-face-delays-regulators-assess-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3282876/teslas-autonomous-driving-roll-out-china-could-face-delays-regulators-assess-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Oct 2024 08:00:07 +0000 Coco Feng,Che Pan Coco Feng,Che Pan A Chinese cybersecurity group has called for a review of Intel products sold on the mainland, alleging that the US semiconductor giant’s chips pose a threat for “frequent vulnerabilities and high failure rates”. The Cyber Security Association of China (CSAC) said in a WeChat post on Wednesday that Intel’s central processing units (CPUs) have shown multiple vulnerabilities in the past and that certain chip series from the firm caused video games to crash. Such product weaknesses may expose users... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3282641/china-cybersecurity-group-seeks-review-intel-products-possible-breaches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3282641/china-cybersecurity-group-seeks-review-intel-products-possible-breaches?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Oct 2024 13:42:00 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan A government-backed think tank has suggested that data centres in mainland China should choose Nvidia chips, warning of the high costs involved in shifting to domestic solutions. “If the conditions allow, [data centres] can choose [Nvidia’s] A100 and H100 high-performance computing units. If the need for computing power is limited, they can also choose H20 or alternative domestic solutions,” the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) said in a report on China’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3282279/chinese-think-tank-recommends-nvidia-chips-data-centres-warning-high-transfer-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3282279/chinese-think-tank-recommends-nvidia-chips-data-centres-warning-high-transfer-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Oct 2024 09:00:09 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan China’s rush to build a nationwide network of artificial intelligence (AI) data centres is running the risk of creating an oversupply of computing power, experts and industry professionals said. Data from CCID Consulting, a government-backed think tank focused on technology, shows that more than 250 internet data centres have either been built or are under construction in China as of June, as local governments, state-owned telecommunications network operators and private investors pour money... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3281894/tech-war-china-sees-glut-ai-data-centres-gpu-mismatches-exacerbate-weak-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3281894/tech-war-china-sees-glut-ai-data-centres-gpu-mismatches-exacerbate-weak-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Oct 2024 23:00:12 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan Chinese authorities have informally advised local companies to use domestic-made artificial intelligence (AI) chips over those from Nvidia, according to two sources familiar with the matter, as alternative suppliers on the mainland look to catch up with the US tech giant. While there is no official ban on Nvidia’s China-tailored H20 graphics processing unit (GPU), the sources said mainland AI chip users have been informed to prioritise deployment of local alternatives, including those developed... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3281254/tech-war-china-advocates-use-local-ai-chips-over-those-us-powerhouse-nvidia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3281254/tech-war-china-advocates-use-local-ai-chips-over-those-us-powerhouse-nvidia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Oct 2024 01:00:17 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan US-sanctioned Huawei Technologies has started testing a new artificial intelligence (AI) chip with potential clients in China as companies look for alternatives to high-end Nvidia chips, edging closer to another breakthrough in China’s self-sufficiency push in semiconductors despite US restrictions. Huawei has offered samples of its Ascend 910C processor to large Chinese server companies for hardware testing and configuration, according to two sources briefed by the matter. The chip, an upgraded... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3280306/huaweis-ai-chips-take-another-step-forward-chinese-firms-look-nvidia-alternatives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3280306/huaweis-ai-chips-take-another-step-forward-chinese-firms-look-nvidia-alternatives?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Sep 2024 02:00:16 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan China’s semiconductor industry is continuing to make incremental steps in advancing its domestic lithography tools, according to specifications publicised by the central government, but analysts say the country has yet to make the big leaps it would take to catch up to Dutch firm ASML. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which oversees the country’s chip industry, earlier this month published a list of new tools with the aim of promoting their use by domestic chip makers.... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3279653/chinas-chip-making-sees-steady-progress-new-tools-nothing-rival-asml?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3279653/chinas-chip-making-sees-steady-progress-new-tools-nothing-rival-asml?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Sep 2024 12:30:22 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan China’s flash memory giant, Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC), has made a small technology leap in its chip design architecture, thanks to closer ties with domestic chip tool providers, despite Washington’s efforts to slow the country’s semiconductor progress, according to a teardown report from Canadian research firm TechInsights. A 512-Gb triple-level cell (TLC) memory chip, containing 160 active layers, was found inside a solid-state drive (SSD) under the name ZhiTai TiPlus, a consumer... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3279170/tech-war-chinese-memory-chip-maker-ymtc-achieves-design-breakthrough-despite-us-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3279170/tech-war-chinese-memory-chip-maker-ymtc-achieves-design-breakthrough-despite-us-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Sep 2024 13:00:13 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan Mainland semiconductor factories could face significant production challenges, as the Netherlands bans Dutch chip tool giant ASML Holding from servicing some of its most reliable equipment in China, according to industry insiders. Earlier this month, Dutch foreign trade and development minister Reinette Klever announced a change to the country’s export controls, requiring ASML to apply for licences to sell its 1970i and 1980i immersion deep ultraviolet (DUV) machines to China-based customers. In... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3278535/china-hit-hard-new-dutch-export-controls-asml-chip-making-equipment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3278535/china-hit-hard-new-dutch-export-controls-asml-chip-making-equipment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Sep 2024 01:00:10 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan A newly revealed patent from Chinese lithography systems maker Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment (SMEE) shows how domestic firms could progress in the local advanced lithography tools market despite US sanctions. The “extreme ultraviolet [EUV] radiation generators and lithography equipment” patent, filed in March 2023, was published publicly on Tuesday and is still being vetted by the China National Intellectual Property Administration, according to a record from company registry website... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3278235/chinese-chip-making-shows-progress-new-euv-patent-domestic-lithography-champion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3278235/chinese-chip-making-shows-progress-new-euv-patent-domestic-lithography-champion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Sep 2024 10:00:31 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan Artificial intelligence (AI) chip start-up Biren Technology, one of China’s best hopes for challenging Nvidia, has hired an investment bank to commence the required “tutoring” process, a precursor to an initial public offering (IPO) in the country. The Shanghai-based unicorn – valued at US$2.19 billion last November, according to venture deal tracker Pitchbook – has hired the city’s largest brokerage, Guotai Junan Securities, to coach company executives on IPO-related issues, the China... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3278210/tech-war-us-sanctioned-chinese-ai-chip-rival-nvidia-biren-technology-plans-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3278210/tech-war-us-sanctioned-chinese-ai-chip-rival-nvidia-biren-technology-plans-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Sep 2024 08:00:09 +0000