Source: Reuters
CXMT's expulsion of SiCarrier staff signals that Chinese chipmakers are using physical control over manufacturing and R&D access as leverage in commercial disputes—a tactic unavailable when they were commodity suppliers. The move reflects real pricing power: as global memory demand tightens and China consolidates domestic production, these companies can afford to punish partners who resist margin demands. Supply chain integration has become a negotiating weapon. Where foreign companies once held leverage over Beijing's suppliers, the dynamic has reversed: now these suppliers can expel foreign engineers and survive the disruption.