Business & Markets

Xinhua News Agency reports that according to a report released by the Korean Institute of Science and Technology Policy (KISTP) on Thursday, China has quickly formed competitive advantages in advanced manufacturing sectors such as robotics, semiconductors, and electric vehicles. Chinese technology is ahead of South Korea in these fields. The report notes that South Korea holds an advantage only in the memory chip sector. On Thursday, the KISTP released a report titled "Analysis of Competitiveness between Korea and China in Advanced Industries and Policy Directions." Based on the results of a questionnaire survey conducted by experts in September 2025, the institute compared the competitive advantages of both countries' overall industrial chains and reached the aforementioned conclusion. The report states that China leads in many aspects such as purchasing components, mass production, and market expansion in the industrial robot sector. In the electric vehicle sector, Chinese autonomous driving technology is relatively advanced. In the semiconductor industry, most experts believe that South Korea holds an advantage in the memory chip market, but China has a lead in areas unrelated to memory chips such as artificial intelligence (AI) chip design and chip design platforms. The report suggests that this analysis implies that South Korea may lag behind China in key chip markets.

Japan announced export controls on 20 enterprises and universities in China with dual-use items related to both civilian and military sectors, including Subaru Corporation and Tokyo Institute of Technology. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce stated that these entities areand export approvals for items involving military purposes will not be granted, and urged their withdrawal.

China imposed export restrictions on 40 Japanese companies, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Japan’s space agency, citing national security concerns following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's November comments regarding potential military intervention in Taiwan. The measures cover dual-use items and include a watch list for stricter reviews of potentially military-use exports. Beijing retaliated by restricting Chinese tourism to Japan due to tensions between the countries.

On February 12, 2026, Qianli Technology announced that Zhao Ming had been nominated as a non-executive director candidate for the company's sixth board of directors. His term would be the same as the current board's. On the same day, another announcement from Qianli Technology stated that the board will add one deputy chairman in an acting capacity. It is likely that this position was created specifically for Zhao Ming. Media reports indicated that Zhao Ming and Yin Qi had been in contact for over half a year, viewing AI as "the next 20-year career." Today, Zhao Ming interacted with Yin Qi on Weibo, stating they would “work together to create an AI business loop and help Qianli soar.” This is not the first time that Qianli Technology has introduced executives from the Huawei group. Previously, it had already recruited Wang Jun, who was a former president of Huawei's autoBU, and Chen Qi, who was in charge of autonomous driving. Currently, Wang Jun oversees technical segments like R&D at Qianli Technology, while Chen Qi is in charge of chip hardware platforms. With Zhao Ming joining now, the tech-to-commercialization landscape will be dominated by executives from the Huawei group. Notably, all three had worked together during the 3G/4G era at Huawei. Wang Jun served as Zhao Ming’s technical partner in Europe. As for Qianli Technology, recent announcements have indicated numerous initiatives aimed at accelerating commercialization. One was a statement made by CEO Yin Qi at last year's Smart Expo, where he pledged to strengthen "AI+terminal" efforts and envision forming an ultra-large-scale terminal market. Another was Yin Qi’s remark in early 2026 about incubating innovative AI hardware within the next 12-15 months, with the aim of closing the gap between "hardware" and "software." In terms of commercialization strategies, smartphones perfectly align with Qianli Technology's two primary anchors: large-scale terminal markets driven by AI empowerment.

Japan announced export controls on 20 enterprises and universities in China with dual-use items related to both civilian and military sectors, including Subaru Corporation and Tokyo Institute of Technology. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce stated that these entities areand export approvals for items involving military purposes will not be granted, and urged their withdrawal.

Smith also emphasized that the couple’s efforts are motivating everyone, including the president, to take action. Li Chi-ying, 78 years old, was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Hong Kong court for crimes such as "conspiring with foreign forces," making it the harshest punishment since the implementation of the Hong Kong version of the National Security Law. This verdict not only marked Beijing's final crackdown on this outspoken media tycoon over many years, but also drew strong international criticism. Li Chi-ying expressed sadness after his father was sentenced to prison and said that such a punishment is extremely cruel, stating that if he were to serve the full sentence, he would die as a martyr in jail. Notably, Johnson decided to elevate the political level of the case regarding Li Chi-ying at this moment, coinciding with President Trump's plans to visit Beijing ahead of his April visit. Li Chi-ying and his brother Li Chong’en had previously publicly stated that President Trump’s upcoming trip to Asia could have a "critical" impact on securing their father's release. In fact, during the election campaign, Trump promised to "rescue him fully," revealing that he requested Chinese President Xi Jinping consider releasing Li Chi-ying.