Chinese smartphone company OPPO launched its chip branch, ZEKU, in 2019 when independent semiconductor chip research and development (R&D) was a national campaign of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Four years later, China’s chip bubble finally burst when OPPO abruptly terminated ZEKU. It is believed that more Chinese semiconductor developers will soon follow suit.
Experts analyzed that OPPO’s decision is highly related to Xi Jinping’s promotion of military industry bureaucrats within the CCP’s hierarchy.
The Chip Bubble
When OPPO engaged in chip R&D, China was in a chip mania to develop key technologies subject to international sanctions. Chinese leader Xi Jinping was promising to guarantee financing, tax benefits, and preferable policy treatment to the sector….