US-China Talks Sidestep Nvidia H200 Chip Export Issue
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said semiconductor export controls were not a major subject during recent discussions between American and Chinese officials in Beijing, signalling that progress on Nvidia’s advanced H200 chip sales to China remains limited.
Speaking to Bloomberg TV on Friday, Greer said the issue did not feature prominently during bilateral meetings held alongside U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China.
“This was not a major topic of discussion at the bilateral meeting. We did not talk about chip export controls at the meeting,” Greer said.
He added that between “15 to 17” American chief executives attended Thursday’s meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping and raised concerns linked to their companies’ operations.
Nvidia H200 Exports Still Await Deliveries
Greer’s remarks suggest there has been no immediate breakthrough regarding Nvidia’s H200 artificial intelligence chips, despite Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang receiving a late invitation to join Trump’s Beijing delegation.
Reuters previously reported that the United States had approved around 10 Chinese companies to purchase H200 chips. Those firms included Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance.
However, no deliveries have taken place so far.
The Trump administration approved H200 exports to China in December before imposing additional conditions in January. Even so, uncertainty around implementation and licensing has continued to slow progress.
National Security And Trade Remain In Balance
Greer said decisions surrounding advanced chip exports continue to evolve according to security concerns and market conditions.
“They’re fluid, right? They change over time. It depends on what threats you see, what’s commercially available worldwide, what the Chinese can already do,” he said.
He added that U.S. policymakers are attempting to balance national security protections with commercial opportunities in overseas markets.
“And so you want to make sure you strike a balance between national security, protecting high tech, but also making sure that we’re benefiting from overseas markets,” Greer said.
According to Greer, China’s willingness to proceed with H200 purchases would ultimately remain a sovereign decision for Beijing.
Chinese AI Firms Face Computing Constraints
Chinese artificial intelligence companies have increasingly promoted their use of domestically produced chips as Beijing pushes for greater technological self-sufficiency.
Nevertheless, U.S. export restrictions continue to place pressure on China’s semiconductor ambitions, particularly as domestic chip manufacturers struggle to expand production capacity quickly enough.
Shortages in computing power have reportedly forced several Chinese AI firms to limit user access to their models in recent months.
At the same time, Chinese policymakers remain cautious about dependence on American technology, viewing reliance on U.S.-made chips as a strategic vulnerability.
US Officials Continue To Debate Chip Restrictions
Some U.S. lawmakers and former Biden administration officials have argued against allowing advanced AI chip exports to China.
They contend that access to high-end semiconductors could help China narrow the gap with the United States in frontier artificial intelligence and strengthen Beijing’s military capabilities.
Greer acknowledged that Chinese authorities remain focused on expanding domestic chip production.
“They’re making their own determinations. They’re very committed to domestic production,” he said.
He also suggested that Chinese officials often view U.S. technological leadership as a challenge to China’s long-term growth ambitions.
“They often see U.S. high tech sometimes as a threat to them because if we’re ahead of the game like we are on AI chips, sometimes they feel that can stop their own growth,” Greer added.
With inputs from Reuters