Post by : Meena Ariff

China has officially approved the import of its first batch of Nvidia’s H200 artificial intelligence chips, marking a significant shift in its stance toward advanced foreign technology. This move reflects China’s effort to meet its growing demand for cutting-edge AI hardware while continuing to strengthen its domestic chip industry.

The approval covers several hundred thousand H200 chips and was granted during Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s visit to China this week, according to insiders familiar with the matter. Due to the sensitivity, sources requested anonymity.

Most of the initial shipments are reportedly designated for three major Chinese internet companies, while other firms remain on a waiting list for future batches. The exact names of the companies receiving approval have not been disclosed.

Both Chinese government bodies responsible for industry and commerce and Nvidia have not commented publicly on the development.

The H200 chip, Nvidia’s second most powerful AI processor, has been a key issue in ongoing U.S.–China technology relations. Although the U.S. government recently authorized exports of the H200 to China, shipments required Beijing’s approval, which until now had been a barrier.

Earlier this month, the U.S. cleared Nvidia to sell the H200 chips to Chinese customers, responding to a surge in demand. However, Chinese customs had previously blocked shipments, citing lack of authorization.

Despite the uncertainty, Chinese tech companies have already placed orders for over two million H200 chips, far exceeding Nvidia’s current production capacity.

It remains uncertain how many additional companies will be approved in upcoming rounds or what exact rules Chinese regulators use to grant access.

Nvidia’s CEO Huang arrived in Shanghai last Friday for the company’s annual events in China and has since traveled to Beijing and other cities.

This approval signals that Beijing is prioritizing the needs of large internet firms heavily investing in AI data centers to compete globally. While Chinese companies like Huawei have developed chips comparable to Nvidia’s older H20 model — previously the most advanced chip allowed into China — their performance still falls well short of the H200.

The H200 delivers about six times the performance of the H20, making it essential for advanced AI applications and large-scale computing.

#Global News