The rapid rise of China's largest DRAM manufacturer, ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), is becoming increasingly evident. Following a 460% surge in its stock price on its first day of trading on the Shanghai stock market last month—pushing its market capitalization beyond 70 trillion KRW—the company is also pursuing the construction of new factories in Shanghai, Hefei, and other regions. It is reportedly planning to more than double its production capacity by 2028. Recently, global PC manufacturers HP and Acer have begun incorporating CXMT's memory chips into their laptops and PCs, further expanding the company's presence in the industry.

Amid this trend, Apple is also showing interest in CXMT. Citing multiple sources, the U.S. Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 9th (local time) that Apple is currently testing CXMT chips in some of its products, including iPhones and MacBooks, and is considering using CXMT memory chips in products sold within China. Apple is reportedly in early-stage supply discussions with CXMT, and there are reports that the company is seeking White House approval to engage in transactions with the Chinese firm. As memory chip prices rise due to memory semiconductor shortages and increasing demand from AI companies, Apple has been raising product prices worldwide and has been exploring ways to secure additional Chinese memory supply chains to mitigate supply shortage issues. In the past, Apple had also requested the Donald Trump administration to allow the use of Chinese memory solely in products sold outside the United States.

However, the U.S. political sphere, regardless of party affiliation, has maintained a negative stance on Apple's attempts to adopt Chinese-made chips. This is due to concerns that it could disrupt the establishment of a U.S.-centric semiconductor supply chain. In June, the U.S. Department of Defense designated CXMT as a company supporting the Chinese People's Liberation Army and included it on the '1260H List.' While inclusion on this list does not trigger immediate legal sanctions, it can restrict contracts with the U.S. military and the receipt of research funding, and it can serve as a warning signal to U.S. investors.

According to the WSJ, U.S. federal regulations prohibit American companies from transferring technology to CXMT. This includes the technical details and product specification information exchanged during the development of the custom semiconductors that Apple primarily uses. As a result, it is practically difficult for Apple to order custom memory chips from CXMT. However, some opinions suggest that under current regulations, it is possible to purchase already-produced general-purpose products or engage in price negotiations.