Samsung Electronics and SK hynix plan to continue investing in their Chinese NAND flash production bases into next year, focusing on advanced-line upgrades and additional manufacturing equipment as artificial-intelligence servers drive demand for high-end storage. Samsung has been converting its Xi’an X2 line to V9 NAND, a process involving about 280 stacked layers, with expected monthly capacity of 40,000 to 50,000 wafers. A supplementary investment centered on etching equipment is planned from the second half of next year, with procurement orders potentially finalized around year-end. SK hynix has restarted equipment investment for a NAND upgrade at its second Dalian plant, with a discussed capacity of about 30,000 wafers a month and deployment planned by the first half of next year. Earlier reports had estimated the line at 40,000 to 60,000 wafers a month. The expansion adds to the companies’ strategically important China operations, which remain subject to U.S. equipment-export licensing requirements.