Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has dismissed growing national security concerns surrounding the sale of advanced U.S. semiconductors to China, arguing that cooperation between the two countries remains crucial for technological progress and economic growth.
Speaking to reporters in South Korea, Huang said he remains committed to securing continued access to the Chinese market and is “optimistic” about China’s ongoing demand for U.S. technology as it strives to become a global AI powerhouse.
“The way to think about the China market is, it’s a singular, vital, important, dynamic market, and nobody can replace that,” he said. “It’s in the best interest of America to serve that China market. It’s in the best interest of China to have American technology companies bring innovation to the China market.”
U.S. export restrictions under review
Huang’s remarks come amid U.S. export controls that limit Chinese firms from purchasing high-end semiconductors used in developing artificial intelligence and advanced computing systems.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed Thursday that he discussed Nvidia chip exports with Chinese President Xi Jinping, though the talks did not include Nvidia’s most advanced Blackwell GPUs. “That’s really between China and Nvidia, but we’re sort of the arbitrator,” Trump said following the meeting.
Asked by CNBC whether he wanted Blackwell chips to be sold in China, Huang responded: “I hope so. But that’s a decision for President Trump to make.”
The U.S. government maintains that its chip restrictions are designed to curb China’s ability to develop and manufacture advanced chips while limiting access to AI-related technologies.
Huang: ‘China makes plenty of AI chips themselves’
Huang pushed back against the national security argument, claiming that Beijing already has robust domestic chipmaking capabilities.
“China makes plenty of AI chips themselves, and the Chinese military surely has access to chips created in China,” he told CNBC’s Eunice Yoon. “So, whatever national security concerns exist have to take into account that China has already blocked Nvidia’s H20 chip, effectively signaling that it has plenty of AI technology of its own.”
Huang suggested that China’s rejection of certain Nvidia products underscores its technological self-sufficiency. “From that perspective, I think the national security concern is really answered by the fact that China doesn’t want H20 or any American chips,” he said.
Despite the political uncertainty, Huang emphasized the immense potential of the Chinese market, estimating it could reach $50 billion in 2025 and grow to “a couple of hundred billion dollars” by the end of the decade.
‘Foolish to underestimate Huawei’
Turning to China’s domestic tech players, Huang acknowledged the strength of Huawei, calling it a formidable competitor in the global semiconductor and telecommunications sectors.
“Nvidia is miles ahead, but it’s foolish to underestimate the might of China and the incredible, competitive spirit of Huawei,” Huang said. “This is a company with extraordinary technology. They dominate the world’s 5G standards, build amazing smartphones and chips, and are exceptional in networking.”
Huang praised Huawei’s CloudMatrix AI supercomputing system, describing it as a testament to the company’s innovation capabilities.
“It’s deeply uninformed to think that Huawei can’t build systems,” he said. “We take competition seriously and respect China’s technological capabilities. That’s why we innovate relentlessly—to reach the future before anyone else does.”
