Nvidia’s H200 Greenlight: A Win No One Wants?
The US finally greenlit Nvidia to sell its powerful H200 AI chips to China, reversing a major ban. But the win seems hollow: Beijing is actively steering tech giants away from American silicon in favor of domestic alternatives like Huawei, leaving Nvidia in a geopolitical bind.
Nvidia's powerful H200 AI accelerator chip, which has recently been approved for export to the Chinese market despite ongoing trade tensions.
The US government has officially authorized Nvidia to resume selling its powerful H200 AI chips to China, reversing strict export bans. However, despite the new "green light" (which reportedly includes a 25% surcharge), the response from Beijing has been surprisingly cold.
Research indicates that Chinese regulators are actively discouraging local tech giants from purchasing these chips. The lack of interest stems from a strategic pivot: Beijing is accelerating its push for self-sufficiency, pressuring companies like Alibaba and ByteDance to adopt domestic alternatives like Huawei’s Ascend series. Reports suggest Chinese officials view the conditional US approval as a "trap" or security risk, preferring to struggle with local hardware than remain dependent on American supply chains.
Nvidia, attempting to navigate this geopolitical minefield, released a statement calling the new export framework a "thoughtful balance that is great for America." However, the company’s leadership seems aware of the reality; CEO Jensen Huang has previously cautioned that China might simply "not accept" these restricted offers anymore, implying the market may have already moved on.
China Urges Firms to Shun Nvidia H20 Chips
This video discusses the geopolitical tension and Beijing's specific guidance to local companies to avoid Nvidia's hardware in favor of domestic solutions.
