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China Times: US Blocked Import of a Large Quantity of Chinese Solar Modules

Major Taiwanese news network China Times recently reported that, according to some U.S. federal customs officials and industry sources, since June, more than 1,000 shipments of solar modules worth hundreds of millions of dollars have been blocked and are piling up at U.S. ports. The blockage was implemented under a new law that bans imports of products from China’s Xinjiang region based on concerns about slave labor. The high number of seizures suggests the policy, aimed at pressuring Beijing over Uyghur concentration camps in Xinjiang, may even slow the Biden administration’s drive to decarbonize the U.S. power sector in response to climate change. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that none of these shipments have yet been returned. Based on federal laws that protect trade secrets, CBP will not disclose the manufacturer or provide details about the number of solar devices. However, three industry sources revealed that the seized products included solar panels and polycrystalline silicon solar cells, which could generate up to 1GW of electricity. The three Chinese manufacturers involved typically account for one-third of the U.S. solar panel supply. Industry sources said the companies have suspended shipments to the U.S. amid fears of more shipments being held up. According to a survey conducted by the American Clean Energy Association, solar installations in the United States plummeted by 23 percent in the third quarter and nearly 23GW of solar projects have been delayed, mainly because of the lack of access to solar panels.

Source: China Times, November 11, 2022
https://www.chinatimes.com/cn/realtimenews/20221111003377-260410?chdtv

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology US-China Relations

BBC Chinese: A Large Number of Zhengzhou Foxconn Workers Fled on Foot

BBC Chinese recently reported that, at the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan province, there are many workers who have been fleeing this largest Apple iPhone assembly plant in China amid reports that the Covid outbreak has forced a lockdown. It has not been possible to verify how many confirmed cases of Covid-19 were found at the plant. Parts of this big city of about 10 million are now on lockdown as China continues to impose strict government Covid control measures. Taiwan’s Foxconn Group, a top supplier for Apple, has hundreds of thousands of workers at its Zhengzhou factory, but the company has yet to provide official figures on the number of infections. Due to the outbreak at the Zhengzhou factory, iPhone shipments in November may be reduced by as much as 30 percent. Footage shared online, including Chinese social media, showed workers leaving the factory and starting a long walk back home so they could avoid arrest on public transportation. A 22-year-old Foxconn worker surnamed Xia said that the dormitory where he and his colleagues were kept was “chaotic,” so he jumped over the fence and escaped. Under China’s strict Zero Covid policy, local governments have the power to act quickly to contain any outbreak of the virus. This includes anything from total lockdowns to regular testing and restrictions on travel . According to online reports, these workers did not in fact flee at first. After the outbreak came, they were helpless and could only obey orders. If it wasn’t for the unbearable situation, they would have been willing to cooperate. Some reports indicated that, after ten days of not having food and water, many workers broke through the interception of the security guards and managed what can be called, “a great escape.”

Source: BBC Chinese, October 31, 2022
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-63455490

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology Social Stability

SK Hynix Considers Abandoning Fab Factories in China

Chinese online high-tech news site ICS Smart recently reported that major South Korean memory chip maker SK Hynix just reported its poor third-quarter results. To make matters worse, SK Hynix has doubts about the future fate of its fab factories in China due to new US export control regulations. The company explained that, due to the deteriorating global macroeconomic environment, sluggish demand for DRAM and NAND products, sales and prices have declined, resulting in a sharp decline (-20.5 percent) in revenue month-over-month. Also, on October 7 this year, the United States issued new export control regulations against China, restricting wafer manufacturers located in China from obtaining multiple advanced chip technologies, unless licensed by the U.S. Department of Commerce. This impacts the fab factories of Korean companies such as SK Hynix and Samsung in China. Although on October 11, SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics both obtained a license from the US Department of Commerce for an additional year, yet after that, what will happen? SK Hynixs’ chief marketing officer Kevin Noh said on a conference call that, as a contingency plan, the company is considering selling fab factories, selling equipment, or moving equipment to Korea. Records show that, as of 2020, SK Hynix had invested more than US$20 billion in China. Under the new U.S. regulations, the operation of SK Hynix in China will be subject to many restrictions.

Source: ICS Smart, October 26, 2022
http://www.icsmart.cn/57115/

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Information/Technology

Apple Sales Have Grown against Market Trend Despite Global Declines

Well-known Chinese news site NetEase (NASDAQ: NTES) recently reported that, while the performance of mobile phones is getting stronger and stronger, consumers have less motivation to change their phone. Therefore the mobile phone is now getting more and more difficult to sell. Research firm Canalys, the leading global technology market analyst firm, has just released its global smartphone market report for the third quarter of 2022. Data shows that the global smartphone market continued to decline in the third quarter of 2022, with shipments down 9 percent year-over-year. Samsung still ranks first with a market share of 22 percent. Its market share slightly increased by 1 percent compared with last year’s 3rd quarter. Apple’s market share has risen from 15 percent in Q3 last year to 18 percent this year. The gap with Samsung is getting smaller and smaller. The three Chinese domestic giants, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo, ranked third to fifth with a market share of 14 percent, 10 percent, and 9 percent respectively, which is consistent with last year’s ranking. Apple’s iPhone 14 series is having hot sales, especially the 14 Pro series, which is still in short supply. Currently the consumer smartphone replacement cycle has been extended from 18 to 20 months in previous years to 30 to 36 months at present. Also the global mobile phone market has fallen for three consecutive quarters. Still, Apple has grown against the market trend, while Chinese domestic smartphone vendors have been losing ground.

Source: NetEase, October 27, 2022
https://www.163.com/dy/article/HKMAHSB60530T38M.html

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Lianhe Zaobao: U.S. Plans to Ban All Huawei and ZTE Equipment from New U.S. Sales

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that an internal document revealed the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to ban approval of new U.S. communications equipment using products from Chinese communications equipment companies Huawei and ZTE. The report cited national security grounds. FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel issued the proposed ban to three other commissioners last week for final approval. The ban stipulates that neither Huawei nor ZTE can sell new equipment in the United States without authorization from the U.S. government. Rosenworcel said in a statement that the FCC remains committed to protecting national security by ensuring untrustworthy communications equipment is not authorized for use within the United States. This is the first time the US FCC has banned the sale of electronic devices on national security grounds. The FCC had earlier banned U.S. companies from using federal funds to buy equipment from those companies, but the new order will extend that ban to all purchases. The FCC rules would also explicitly prohibit the sale of video surveillance equipment for public safety in the United States. This will affect U.S. sales by Chinese companies Hydra Communications, Hangzhou Hikvision and Dahua Technology. However, the rule is not retroactive, meaning U.S. companies can still sell FCC-approved Chinese communications equipment. The Chinese embassy in the U.S. earlier this year criticized the FCC for “abusing state power” and again for “maliciously attacking” Chinese telecom operators without a factual basis.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, October 14, 2022
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20221014-1322739

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology US-China Relations

Apple Suspended Adoption of Chinese Flash Memory Chips

Well-known Chinese news site NetEase (NASDAQ: NTES) recently reported that Apple appears to have suspended plans to use YMTC (Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd.) flash memory chips in its products. Apple had previously confirmed that it was testing NAND Flash chips imported from China’s YMTC in iPhones. Apple’s decision came after the U.S. government imposed a new round of export controls on Mainland China’s tech industry on October 7. Multiple sources said Apple had completed a months-long certification for longevity before the U.S. government announced it would impose stricter export restrictions. Earlier, Apple noted that it did not consider the use of Yangtze memory chips in phones sold outside of China, and said all user data stored on the flash memory chips used by the company was “fully encrypted.” At present, YMTC is the largest domestic NAND Flash supplier in China, and its mass-produced 128-layer NAND Flash chips are also China’s most advanced NAND Flash chips. Apple initially planned to use YMTC NAND Flash chips starting this year because its chips are at least 20 percent cheaper than those from other major rivals, A source from a top supply chain executive said that the reason for Apple’s suspension of the plan to adopt YMTC chips this time was that YMTC actively proposed to Apple to “exit Apple’s supply chain.” It is because it does not want to continue to stimulate the sensitive nerves of the United States at this sensitive time.

Source: NetEase, October 17, 2022
https://www.163.com/dy/article/HJT1F7040511838M.html

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology US-China Relations

TSMC’s Third-Quarter Net Profit Surged 80 Percent

Well-known Chinese news site Sina (NASDAQ: SINA) recently reported that the foundry giant TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) released its third-quarter financial report. Data showed that TSMC’s revenue in the third quarter surged and its profit margin increased significantly. TSMC’s net profit increased by 80 percent compared with the same period last year, setting a new record. From the perspective of revenue sources, TSMC’s smartphone business revenue in the third quarter increased by 25 percent to 41 percent month-over-month, and its high-performance computing (HPC) business revenue increased by 4 percent to 39 percent. From a regional angle, revenue from North American customers accounted for 72 percent of total revenue, up from 64 percent in the second quarter. Revenue from Mainland China accounted for 8 percent, down from 13 percent in the previous quarter. The main figures in TSMC’s third quarter financial report were significantly higher than expected, indicating strong market demand for advanced process products. While delivering dazzling performance, TSMC announced that it would lower its full-year capital expenditures to US$36 billion. This is considered an important signal of a slowdown in the semiconductor market. Experts expressed the belief that the semiconductor industry may decline in 2023, but it will still be a year of revenue growth for TSMC. TSMC is Apple’s primary chip supplier for its cutting-edge mobile devices.

Source: Sina, October 13, 2022
https://finance.sina.com.cn/jjxw/2022-10-13/doc-imqqsmrp2483888.shtml

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

CNA: British Government Officially Gave Notice to Remove Huawei by 2027

Primary Taiwanese news agency Central News Agency (CNA) recently reported that the British government issued an official notice on October 13 to 35 domestic broadband and mobile network operators, as well as to the Chinese telecom giant Huawei that Huawei must completely remove Huawei equipment from the UK’s 5G public network by the end of 2027. The ban also includes 1.) an immediate halt to the installation of Huawei equipment on 5G networks and 2.) the complete removal of Huawei from facilities important to national security by January 28, 2023, and 3.) the refusal to install any Huawei products affected by U.S. sanctions on full-fiber networks. In a notice to Huawei, the UK Digital Ministry explained the reasons for the ban.  Huawei is headquartered in China and its business is controlled on the Chinese end. The Chinese government and related actors have carried out and are expected to continue to carry out cyber-attacks on the UK. The Chinese government and related actors continue to seek to exploit weaknesses in telecommunications service equipment and networks in order to undermine their security. Chinese laws such as the National Intelligence Law allow the Chinese government to require Chinese companies and their employees to engage in activities “harmful to the UK.” Also, in terms of law enforcement practices, the Chinese government may even ask Huawei employees to cooperate with the Chinese government. The Chinese government’s authority under the statute means Huawei’s equipment could be secretly embedded with malicious functions. The UK Telecommunications (Security) Act, which went into effect in November last year, gave the UK government new powers to impose stricter controls on high-risk telecom service providers based on national security concerns.

Source: CNA, October 13, 2022
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aopl/202210130365.aspx

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Information/Technology