China's government has approved shipments of roughly 10,000 Nvidia H200 chips each to ByteDance and Tencent at their mainland facilities in recent weeks, according to sources cited by the Financial Times.
The approvals represent a selective relaxation of China's access to advanced semiconductor technology, which the US has heavily restricted through export controls. Nvidia's H200 is among the most powerful AI training chips available, critical for developing large language models and competing with American tech companies.
Beijing's decision to permit these limited shipments suggests the government is balancing geopolitical tensions with domestic tech industry needs. ByteDance, owner of TikTok, and Tencent, a gaming and social media conglomerate, are among China's largest tech firms and face pressure to advance their AI capabilities.
The batches remain modest compared to the volume these companies would require for major AI infrastructure buildouts. US restrictions have forced Chinese firms to seek alternative chips and develop domestic semiconductor capabilities, though progress has been slower than Beijing's targets.
The shipments underscore ongoing negotiations between Washington and Beijing over semiconductor access, with China seeking exceptions for leading domestic companies while the US maintains broader containment policies.
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