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June 12 (Asia Today) — Hanmi Semiconductor said Friday it will invest about 50 billion won, or $32.9 million, in SpaceX as part of a strategic move tied to future cooperation in artificial intelligence chip manufacturing.

The South Korean semiconductor equipment maker said in a regulatory filing it plans to acquire shares in SpaceX on Monday. SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, is a private aerospace company known for rocket technology and its Starlink satellite communications service.

Hanmi Semiconductor said the investment was made with an eye toward potential cooperation related to Musk’s Terafab project, an AI semiconductor manufacturing plan involving SpaceX, Tesla and xAI.

The project is aimed at building chip production capacity for Musk’s companies, including SpaceX, Tesla and xAI, as demand grows for AI semiconductors, satellite data services and global network infrastructure.

Market expectations for SpaceX have grown ahead of its expected public listing, with some estimates putting the company’s value at about 2,600 trillion won, or roughly $1.7 trillion.

Hanmi Semiconductor said it made the investment to position itself early in the expansion of AI infrastructure from semiconductors and data centers into aerospace, satellite communications and data industries.

The company has previously invested in businesses with future growth potential. Hanmi Semiconductor Chairman Kwak Dong-shin has pursued several investments connected to his relationship with Peter Thiel, the co-founder of Palantir.

Crescendo Equity Partners, a global private equity firm backed by Thiel, invested in Hanmi Semiconductor in 2013, marking the first investment of its kind in a Korean company. Hanmi Semiconductor said its latest investment in SpaceX also stems from that connection.

Kwak and Hanmi Semiconductor jointly invested in semiconductor equipment maker HPSP in 2021, generating a return of about 639% from the original investment. In 2024, Kwak personally invested 31 billion won, or about $20.4 million, in Line Next, a global Web3 company affiliated with LY Corp., acquiring an 8.5% stake.

A Hanmi Semiconductor official said the company decided to invest in SpaceX, a participant in Musk’s Terafab project, as AI industry growth expands beyond semiconductors and data centers into aerospace, satellite communications and data businesses.

The company said it plans to reinvest expected returns from the SpaceX investment into its core semiconductor equipment business to support sustainable growth and increase corporate and shareholder value.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260612010004261

China’s state-linked media system is preparing a major investment in artificial intelligence aimed at advancing and disseminating President Xi Jinping’s political ideology. According to Shanghai Stock Exchange filings, Xinhuanet, owned by the official Xinhua News Agency, plans to invest over 1.1 billion yuan (about $162 million) in an AI system called “Xinhua Yudian,” or “Xinhua lexicon.”

The AI agent is designed as an “authoritative” tool for learning, researching, and distributing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It will draw on a curated state-controlled database and is intended to deliver official narratives, current affairs, and political content in a structured format.

The project builds on China’s broader national strategy to integrate artificial intelligence across governance, industry, and society under the “AI+” initiative launched in 2025, which encourages widespread adoption of AI technologies in both public and private sectors.

Why It Matters

This development highlights how artificial intelligence is increasingly being used not only as a technological tool but also as an instrument of political communication and ideological reinforcement. Unlike commercial AI systems designed for open-ended information retrieval, this platform is explicitly structured to promote state-approved interpretations of policy and leadership thinking.

The initiative reflects Beijing’s growing emphasis on controlling information ecosystems in an era of information overload and competing narratives. By positioning AI as a “trust layer” for political and policy information, China is attempting to address concerns about misinformation while simultaneously strengthening ideological consistency across digital platforms.

The project also signals a broader convergence between state power and emerging technologies. As AI systems become more integrated into education, media, and governance, they are increasingly shaping not only what information is accessed but how it is interpreted. This raises important questions about transparency, bias, and the role of algorithmic systems in political messaging.

Chinese Government and Communist Party
Seeking to strengthen ideological cohesion and ensure consistent dissemination of Xi Jinping’s political doctrine.

Xinhuanet and Xinhua News Agency
Acting as the implementing body, responsible for building and deploying the AI system using state-approved datasets.

Technology Sector in China
Participating in the broader “AI+” initiative, which encourages integration of artificial intelligence across industries.

Chinese Citizens and Digital Users
Target users of the system, particularly students, officials, and professionals seeking policy-related information and official references.

Global Technology Community
Observing China’s use of AI in state communication as part of a wider debate on governance, censorship, and AI ethics.

Future Outlook

The rollout of “Xinhua Yudian” is likely to deepen the integration of artificial intelligence into China’s political and information architecture. If successful, it could serve as a model for other state-backed AI systems designed to standardize ideological communication and policy interpretation.

In the near term, the platform is expected to function as both an information retrieval system and a citation verification tool for official discourse. This may reduce ambiguity in policy communication but also further centralize control over authoritative narratives.

Longer term, the project raises questions about how AI will shape political legitimacy and information control in authoritarian systems. As AI becomes more capable of generating and filtering content at scale, its role may shift from a neutral tool to an active participant in shaping public perception and ideological alignment.

The initiative underscores a broader global trend in which artificial intelligence is not only transforming economies and industries but also becoming a strategic instrument in statecraft and governance.

With information from Reuters.

Nvidia’s (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang said the company plans to invest about $150B a year in Taiwan while announcing a new expanded campus in Taipei.

“Four years ago, five years ago, Nvidia was spending about 10, 15 billion dollars a year in Taiwan. Now