China Signals Conditional Approval For Nvidia H200 Imports
In principle, Chinese officials have agreed to let big tech companies buy Nvidia H200 chips. This move shows that Beijing is getting close to officially allowing the import of AI parts that are important for advanced computing. The choice shows that regulations are moving slowly, not that the market is open to everyone.
Companies like Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance were told to start getting ready to buy, even though the final terms are still being worked out. Reports say that regulators want companies to promise to buy both Nvidia parts and chips made in the US. This mixed approach fits with China’s goals of becoming self sufficient in industry.
Source: Nikkei Asia/Website
Visit From Nvidia CEO Shows Strategic Timing
As talks about regulations got more serious, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was seen in Shanghai. He showed up after going to the World Economic Forum in Davos, which showed how the world is working together. This was his first trip to China this year.
Nvidia needs to act quickly because China is the world’s biggest semiconductor market. Huang has said in the past that the AI chip market alone could bring in tens of billions of dollars. China is still at the center of that growth outlook, even though there are geopolitical problems.
The H200 Chips Are The Main Topic Of US China Trade Talks
The H200 is the last generation of AI accelerator that can be exported from the US right now. People think the H200 is fine for non sensitive uses, unlike cutting edge chips. This difference puts the product at the center of fragile trade talks.
The Trump administration has said that national security rules still allow the shipping of older generation chips to China. But there is still a lot of debate about how to limit the use of sensitive agencies and infrastructure. This uncertainty makes it harder for buyers and sellers to plan for the long term.
Recommended Article: Philippines Restores Grok Access After Safety Fixes Today
Chinese Tech Giants Start Planning To Buy Again
Reports say that Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance have been given permission to talk about how many and when they will be delivered. People who know about the talks say that each company could get more than 200,000 units. These numbers show that China still wants Nvidia accelerators.
Nvidia’s top executives have said that Chinese customers are very interested in their products. They do, however, say that the company has not directly talked to Beijing about the terms of approval. This separation shows how careful regulators are about chip imports.
Domestic Chip Mandates Reflect Self Sufficiency Drive
It is likely that Beijing will make technology companies buy a certain amount of chips made in China. Regulators have not set exact limits, but they see local procurement as a must. This policy is in line with China’s larger plan to become independent in the semiconductor industry.
During Nvidia’s time away, local competitors like Huawei and Cambricon grew quickly. State incentives worth up to 70 billion dollars are meant to speed up the growth of manufacturing in the country. These efforts are still going on, along with selective import permissions.
Conflicting Signals Highlight Regulatory Uncertainty
Recent approvals are different from earlier reports that said H200 shipments were blocked. Reports say that manufacturers stopped making things because the rules were unclear. These mixed signals show that there is still a debate going on about policy within the company.
Bloomberg said before that China might let in a small number of H200s as early as this quarter. Sensitive government agencies and important infrastructure would not be able to get in. Such carve outs are still a major point of contention in the talks.
Broader Semiconductor Controls Shape Market Behavior
In the middle of 2025, Chinese officials told companies not to use Nvidia’s H20 chips. Companies were also told to stop buying RTX Pro processors that are good for AI tasks. These actions showed that the rules were becoming less strict.
China’s changing position shows how it is balancing the need for AI with the need for strategic freedom. For Nvidia, conditional approval means a partial reopening, not a full return to normal market conditions. Future access will depend on how well compliance and geopolitical stability work together.
