Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories of the first full week of 2026: January 5-11

On January 6, 2026, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced that, to safeguard national security and interests, it would strengthen export controls on dual-use items to Japan. It also initiated an anti-dumping investigation on specialty gases exported to Japan's chip industry. This goes far beyond its previous rare earth controls, with vague definitions for military and civilian applications

Samsung Electronics is reportedly evaluating whether to source OLED display panels from China's BOE Technology Group for its flagship Galaxy S smartphone lineup, as it looks to rein in component costs while weighing legal and quality risks

Sharp ceased production at its Sakai Display Product (SDP) factory in late August 2024, ending operations at the world's only 10G LCD panel fab. Despite this closure, Sharp is pursuing plans to build a new 10.5G LCD panel manufacturing facility in India in partnership with the Adani Group, a major Indian conglomerate. The initiative reflects Sharp's continued interest in expanding its LCD panel production, though significant challenges remain

China's Ministry of Commerce announced on January 8, 2026, that it supports lawful cross-border business and international technology cooperation, emphasizing that overseas investments, technology exports, data transfers, and mergers and acquisitions must comply with applicable regulations and complete required procedures. The ministry is currently reviewing Meta Platforms' acquisition of artificial intelligence (AI) startup Manus, working with other authorities to assess whether the transaction aligns with export control rules, technology import-export governance, and outbound investment regulations

Samsung Electronics has reportedly secured KRW800 billion (US$550 million) through a low-interest loan program from the Korea Development Bank, according to sources cited by Korean media

CyberPower Systems, a Taiwanese maker of uninterruptible power supply systems, said its revenue declined modestly in December 2025 and for the full year 2025, as changes in US tariff policy and customer inventory adjustments weighed on shipments

Tai-Tech Advanced Electronics posted record revenue in December, the fourth quarter, and the full year of 2025, driven by strong AI-related demand and an initial round of price increases for ferrite bead products, the company said

Japanese semiconductor equipment maker TEL is ramping up investments to capitalize on a supercycle in memory demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI) servers. With DRAM and other memory prices expected to surge roughly 10x starting fall 2025, rapid global data center expansion is fueling explosive demand for advanced semiconductor manufacturing tools

India's backend semiconductor makers see temporary relief from material constraints linked to legacy packaging, as KLA opens a US$36 million R&D hub in Chennai to boost AI, software, and process control capabilities

India is weighing a sweeping set of new security requirements that could force smartphone makers to share sensitive source code with government-appointed laboratories, according to Reuters, citing people familiar with the matter and a review of confidential documents, reigniting a long-running tug of war between New Delhi and global technology companies over privacy, surveillance, and control of digital infrastructure

China's smartphone industry opened 2026 with a major consolidation move, as Realme formally returned to the Oppo group as a sub-brand and integrated with fellow sub-brand OnePlus. The restructuring is intended to strengthen competitiveness through shared resources and coordinated brand strategy amid mounting supply chain pressure and intensifying market competition

India has made measurable progress in nurturing a domestic semiconductor chip design ecosystem, with early outcomes emerging from government-backed programmes aimed at reducing dependence on imported intellectual property and strengthening participation in higher-value segments of the global chip industry