Nvidia H200 China sales await Beijing nod: Jensen Huang

Taipei, Jan. 29 (CNA) Nvidia Corp. is still waiting for the Chinese government to decide whether to allow imports of its H200 AI chips and has not yet received any orders from customers in China, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said on Thursday.

Huang made the remarks when asked by reporters to comment on a Reuters report stating that Beijing has greenlit H200 purchases for three major Chinese tech firms, as it seeks to balance urgent AI demand with the growth of its domestic chip industry.

Huang noted that while the United States has cleared the H200 for sale to China, the decision ultimately rests with China.

"They are still deciding, and we are waiting patiently," he added, adding that he "is looking forward to a good decision."

H200 pending in China

Huang reiterated his endorsement of the U.S. decision to authorize H200 sales, arguing it is illogical for the Chinese military to rely on American silicon, just as the U.S. would never depend on Chinese chips for its own defense.

Huang emphasized the necessity of balancing rapid technological advancement with economic interests and national security. "Every country has to find the balance."

Citing anonymous sources, Reuters reported Wednesday that Beijing has authorized ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent to purchase a combined total of over 400,000 H200 chips, with a second wave of companies already applying for approval.

Huang told reporters that the report was "fake news," questioning what the goal of such misinformation was, given that Nvidia has yet to receive any formal purchase orders.

Nvidia new Taiwan headquarters

After wrapping up a tour in China, Huang touched down at Taipei Songshan Airport at 1 p.m. Thursday, amid speculation that the Taipei City government is set to sign a land-use rights agreement for Nvidia's new Taiwan headquarters during his stay.

Nvidia's application to invest NT$3.3 billion (US$105 million) in its new Taiwan headquarters at Taipei's Beitou Shilin Technology Park was approved by the Ministry of Economic Affairs on Wednesday.

Upon arrival, Huang took questions from Taiwanese media outlets at the airport, but did not provide specifics of the reported signing ceremony.

TSMC's global footprint

Asked about the Trump administration's reported goal to bring 40 percent of Taiwan's semiconductor supply chain to the U.S. -- as stated by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick earlier this month -- Huang said such a move would benefit the U.S., Taiwan, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker.

Huang characterized TSMC's expanding footprint in the U.S., Japan, and Europe as "adding" to rather than "shifting" from its existing operations, noting his belief that the vast majority of TSMC's production capacity will remain in Taiwan.

He explained that global demand for TSMC's services far exceeds Taiwan's available energy supply, making an expanded international presence a significant advantage for the company while simultaneously strengthening U.S. supply chain resilience.