China has imposed new export control measures on 40 Japanese entities, placing 20 organizations on its export control list and another 20 on a separate watchlist, citing national security concerns and the need to strengthen oversight of exports of dual-use items.

Generative AI is driving a sharp rise in electricity demand from data centers and AI computing infrastructure, prompting China to release its 15th Five-Year Plan for the Construction of a New Energy System (2026–2030). The plan incorporates AI power demand into China's national energy strategy for the first time, calling for closer coordination between electricity supply and computing capacity to support AI, advanced manufacturing, and other strategic industries.

Chinese artificial intelligence developer Zhipu AI, also known as Z.ai, is narrowing the performance gap with leading US AI companies in cybersecurity-focused models, underscoring intensifying technological competition as Washington tightens oversight of advanced AI systems.

South Korea's government is preparing to designate Physical AI, the convergence of robotics and artificial intelligence, as a new national strategic industry, positioning robotics as a potential growth engine after semiconductors, according to Newsis.

Samsung Electronics is slowing its investment schedule for 1d DRAM, the seventh-generation 10nm-class DRAM node, as a sharp surge in memory prices makes it more profitable to squeeze output from existing production lines than to rush costly next-generation processes to market, The Bell reported on June 23.

LG Chem is discussing whether to expand production of copper-clad laminate, or CCL, a core material used in semiconductor packaging, as demand tied to artificial intelligence chips accelerates, Herald Business reported.