Nvidia’s Jensen Huang Expresses Hope for Blackwell Chip Sales in China, But Admits It’s Up to Trump

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Friday he remained hopeful that the company’s Blackwell AI chips could eventually be sold in China, but emphasized that the decision ultimately rests with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speaking in Seoul, South Korea, during his first official visit to the country in more than ten years, Huang made the remarks a day after Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held bilateral talks there — a meeting closely watched for its implications on trade and technology cooperation.

“I’m always hopeful that both governments will arrive at a conclusion someday where Nvidia’s technology could be exported to China,” Huang said. “We’re always hoping to return to China, and I think that Nvidia in China is very good. It’s in the best interest of the United States. It’s in the best interest of China.”

Following the talks, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that semiconductors had been discussed and that China would be “talking to Nvidia and others about taking chips,” but clarified that “we’re not talking about the Blackwell.”

The Blackwell chip is Nvidia’s most powerful AI processor yet — and the centerpiece of its latest generation of hardware used in training advanced AI systems. Its export to China has been blocked under U.S. restrictions on high-performance semiconductor sales, part of Washington’s broader strategy to prevent Beijing from gaining access to technologies that could enhance its military or surveillance capabilities.

The U.S.-China standoff over advanced chip technology has become a defining element of global AI competition. Washington’s export controls, first tightened in 2022 and later expanded, prohibit the sale of Nvidia’s most capable AI chips, including the A100, H100, and now the Blackwell, to China.

Huang has spent months urging U.S. policymakers to reconsider those limits, arguing that Chinese AI’s reliance on American-designed hardware ultimately benefits the United States.

He has previously said Chinese AI’s dependence on U.S. hardware is good for America, suggesting that restricting access could backfire by accelerating China’s push toward semiconductor self-sufficiency.

According to sources cited by Reuters, Nvidia has been developing a special variant of its Blackwell chip tailored for China — a model that would fall below the U.S. performance threshold for export bans but still outperform the company’s H20 chip, the most advanced model currently cleared for sale in the Chinese market.

However, the Chinese government has reportedly cooled toward Nvidia, discouraging local firms from purchasing the H20 as part of efforts to strengthen domestic alternatives. Instead, Beijing has been encouraging investment in Huawei Technologies Co., which has aggressively moved to expand its own chip production capacity.

A Shrinking Chinese Market

Huang admitted that Nvidia’s ambitions for a foothold in China have diminished significantly.

“We had been hoping for a non-zero market share in China, but we’re now expecting zero,” he told reporters.

Although the U.S. has expressed national security concerns that Nvidia’s chips could be diverted for military use, Huang dismissed the notion that export controls would meaningfully limit China’s technological capabilities. China’s own domestically produced AI chips are already good enough for their military applications, he said.

He further cautioned against underestimating Huawei’s competitive strength, calling it one of the most capable technology companies in the world.

“It is deeply uninformed to think that Huawei can’t build systems,” Huang said. “It is foolish to underestimate the might of China and the incredible competitive spirit of Huawei. This is a company with extraordinary technology.”

A Complex Balancing Act

Nvidia, now the world’s most valuable semiconductor maker with a market capitalization surpassing $5 trillion, relies heavily on global demand for its AI processors but faces increasing political headwinds as Washington and Beijing vie for dominance in advanced computing.

During his trip to Seoul, Huang said he was delighted with the success of the Trump-Xi meeting, though he was unaware of the specific topics discussed.

“I have every confidence that the two presidents had a very good conversation,” he said. “It doesn’t have to involve anything that I do.”

While Nvidia’s presence in China has been sharply curtailed by U.S. policy, Huang’s remarks suggest that the company remains optimistic about a possible reopening of the Chinese market — a move that could reshape the global AI supply chain if permitted by the Trump administration.

For now, Nvidia’s growth continues to be driven by soaring demand in the U.S., Europe, and South Korea, where it is expanding partnerships with Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Group, and other technology firms investing heavily in AI infrastructure.

However, Nvidia’s future in China remains one of the most consequential questions in the evolving U.S.-China technology rivalry — one that hinges on whether Washington sees strategic advantage in allowing its most advanced chips to flow once again into the world’s second-largest economy.