US media have reported that this week, the Chinese government has informed some Chinese tech companies that only under specific circumstances, such as for university research, will the government approve the purchase of American chip giant Nvidia's H200 artificial intelligence (AI) chips.
Foreign media citing US tech outlet The Information report this news, stating that the move shows Beijing remains cautious over whether to fully reopen the Chinese market to Nvidia.
The report states that the directive issued by the Chinese government is “deliberately kept vague,” requiring some companies to only purchase related chips “when necessary,” but without clearly defining the specific criteria for “necessity.”
In addition, the Chinese government plans to hold follow-up meetings with more companies to convey the above procurement instruction, but whether further details will be provided remains unclear.
Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the United States, responded to the matter by saying: “As a matter of principle, ensuring the smooth development of economic and technological cooperation serves the shared interests of both China and the US.”
The Information reported last week that China had asked certain companies to suspend orders for H200 chips in order to prioritize support for domestic enterprises in the race for AI leadership.
Currently, Nvidia finds itself caught between China-US tensions. On one hand, the US is considering stricter export controls on Nvidia’s most advanced technologies; on the other, China is stepping up efforts to strengthen its own artificial intelligence capabilities and urging companies to reduce reliance on foreign technology.