South Korean tech conglomerate Samsung had actively participated in the MWC (Mobile World Congress) trade shows until recently. The company has decided to skip the ongoing MWC 2023 being held in Shanghai for “unknown reasons.” Continue reading for the news.
MWC is an annual trade show and conference for the mobile telecommunications industry. This event gathers representatives from the most prominent mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, and other key players in this industry.
It is organized by GSMA, a non-profit industry organization representing the interests of mobile network operators across the globe.
Being present at MWC’s trade shows is a chance for companies like Samsung to showcase their products and offerings to the rest of the world. But it appears that Samsung is snubbing MWC’s leg in Shanghai.
Samsung’s absence
Samsung’s absence at the three-day MWC trade show in Shanghai, China’s global financial hub, which concludes today, is the first time the South Korean technology company has not participated in the annual event since least 2017.
The company was present during the previous MWC event held earlier this year in Barcelona, where it showcased its products, such as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy Book3 Ultra.
Last 2021, Samsung did participate in MWC, which was also held in Shanghai, where the company even had a booth.
Samsung has not made a statement regarding this no-show as of press time. The event’s organizer, meanwhile, said it had no response on this absence.
Some of the companies that seized the limelight at MWC 2023 in Shanghai were Huawei, ZTE Corp, and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), among others.
“Compared with the Barcelona event we just attended, the size of the Shanghai event is smaller, but the technology is more ahead as China continues to drive innovation,” Gilles Garcia, AMD’s senior director for its data center and communications group, said.
Could it be due to the weakening relations between South Korea, China?
While officially, the reason for Samsung’s absence at the trade show is unknown, some speculations underlined its no-show at MWC Shanghai 2023 is because of the rising tensions between South Korea, which is Samsung’s headquarters, and China.
Relations between Seoul and Beijing have weakened since the South Korean government denounced China for allegedly committing a “serious diplomatic discourtesy” following a Chinese official’s response to comments made by the South Korean president, Yoon Suk-yeol, on Taiwan, that they are verbal meddling, as reported by South Korean news agency, Yonhap News Agency.
The trade of semiconductors between South Korea and China has also declined after Seoul decided to align its interests with Washington and Tokyo closely. Washington has restricted exports of semiconductor chips to China because the former believes the latter might use them for propaganda.
Other absentees
Samsung is not the only no-show at the MWC 2023 in Shanghai. Ericsson – a Swedish telecommunications equipment maker, and Qualcomm – a United States-based developer of semiconductors, software, and services for mobile communications – also snubbed the event. What’s worse, these companies are listed as two of the major corporate sponsors of the event.
