China’s $3.2 Billion AI Pipeline Still Calls for Nvidia Chips Washington Restricts
A Reuters review of more than 150 Chinese procurement notices, investment plans and corporate records found AI data-center projects worth over 23 billion yuan ($3.2 billion) specifying restricted Nvidia H100, H200 or H800 chips. The figure includes infrastructure costs and does not confirm that the chips were acquired or that export rules were violated. Projects range from proposed centers still seeking financing to an H800 cluster reported operational in Wuxi. U.S. rules restrict H100 exports and require licenses for H200 sales. Chinese developers face uncertainty over Nvidia access, while alternatives such as Huawei chips require software and engineering changes. The findings highlight Nvidia’s continued role in China’s AI infrastructure plans and scrutiny of U.S. export controls.
