Huang expresses his "disappointment" over reports of Nvidia chip ban in China amid geopolitical tensions
Jensen Huang, the CEO of "Nvidia", expressed his "disappointment" regarding reports that Chinese authorities ordered major tech companies not to purchase the new chip designated for the Chinese market, the "RTX Pro 6000D", during a press conference in London, the British capital.
Huang's comments came in response to a report by the "Financial Times" stating that the "Chinese Cyberspace Administration" ordered companies such as "ByteDance", the owner of TikTok, and "Alibaba" to refrain from purchasing the chip developed specifically for them. Huang explained the complexities facing the company's operations by saying: "We can serve any market only if the country itself wants that."
Huang added: "We have contributed to the Chinese market more than most other countries, and I am frustrated by what I see, but they have broader agendas that need to be resolved between China and the United States, and I understand that." He pointed out that Nvidia's business in China has been "somewhat volatile" in recent years, to the extent that the company advised financial analysts not to include the Chinese market in future forecasts because its performance is "primarily linked to discussions between the U.S. and Chinese governments."
These developments represent a new blow to Nvidia in China, which is also facing a new investigation opening this week by the Chinese market regulator for antitrust issues related to its acquisition of the Israeli company
"Mellanox".
This comes in the context of a historical backdrop of U.S. restrictions on exporting artificial intelligence chips to China, including the less powerful "H20" chip, for national security reasons. The "White House" announced last August an agreement between President Donald Trump and Huang that grants "Nvidia" export licenses in exchange for transferring 15% of the sales of the "H20" chip in the Chinese market to the U.S. government.
Huang concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the Chinese market is "important and large, and its technology sector is vibrant," stressing that "Nvidia" will continue to support Chinese companies and the government "according to their wishes," alongside its continued support for the U.S. government "as all parties continue to address these geopolitical policies."
It is worth noting that these statements come during a visit where Huang accompanies President Trump to the United Kingdom, where "Nvidia" announced a massive investment of £11 billion in AI infrastructure in Britain.
