China’s silicon wafer rise adds pressure in AI chip race

China is accelerating its silicon wafer self-sufficiency drive, aiming to source more than 70 percent of its advanced wafers domestically by 2026 as AI-driven chip demand surges. Though the push is unlikely to disrupt the global chip industry immediately, experts said it signals China is steadily strengthening one of the most critical layers of the semiconductor supply chain as the AI boom sharply increases wafer demand. “The world’s top five wafer suppliers are unlikely to face a serious threat