US authorises Nvidia H200 chip sales to ten Chinese firms
Alibaba, Tencent and ByteDance among companies cleared to purchase advanced AI processors as Nvidia CEO visits Beijing with White House delegation.
The United States government has authorised the sale of Nvidia H200 artificial intelligence chips to ten Chinese technology firms, including Alibaba, Tencent and ByteDance. The US Commerce Department approved the purchases, allowing the companies to acquire the high-performance processors either directly or through intermediaries.
Under the terms of the approval, the US government will receive 25 per cent of the revenue generated from these sales. The decision marks a notable shift in regulatory stance, permitting the export of advanced AI hardware to entities previously subject to strict export controls.
The approval coincides with a high-level diplomatic visit by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to Beijing. Huang is travelling as part of a White House delegation, which includes US President Donald Trump, to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. The timing of the chip sales authorisation aligns with these diplomatic engagements between the two nations.
The list of authorised firms extends beyond the major internet giants to include JD.com, Lenovo and Foxconn. These entities are now permitted to purchase the H200 models, which are designed for intensive artificial intelligence workloads.
This development occurs against a backdrop of Beijing’s ongoing efforts to reduce reliance on US technology. Chinese authorities are actively encouraging domestic firms to prioritise homegrown semiconductor solutions and investing heavily in open-source AI to mitigate the impact of previous US restrictions.
It remains unclear whether this approval represents a permanent lifting of restrictions or a temporary measure tied to current diplomatic negotiations. The extent to which Chinese firms will purchase these chips, given the government’s push for domestic alternatives, is also uncertain.
The long-term impact of this approval on US-China tech relations and future export control policies has not yet been determined. The move highlights the complex interplay between trade policy, technological competition and diplomatic strategy in the semiconductor sector.
