US approves sale of Nvidia's advanced AI chips to China

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete January 14, 2026 at 05:11 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

The US government has approved the sale of Nvidia's H200 AI chips to China, according to the Department of Commerce. This reverses previous restrictions based on concerns that the chips would benefit China's technology industry and military. The approval is contingent on sufficient supply in the US and Chinese customers demonstrating adequate security measures, preventing military use. While Nvidia welcomes the move, seeing it as beneficial to US manufacturing, China opposes the politicization of tech and trade. The H200 is Nvidia's second-most-advanced chip; the most advanced, Blackwell, remains blocked from sale in China. This decision comes after lobbying from Nvidia's CEO, who argued that global market access is crucial for US competitiveness, despite concerns from some US officials about potential military applications in China.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Bureau of Industry and Security 30% BBC ×240% Beijing ×340% Liu Pengyu 40% Donald Trump 50% H200 ×360% Department of Commerce ×270% China ×1080% United States ×780% Nvidia ×990%

Keywords

ai chips 100% nvidia 90% china 90% united states 80% artificial intelligence 70% semiconductors 60% export policy 50% technology industry 50% geopolitical 40%