China has approved the import of Nvidia’s H200 artificial intelligence chips, clearing the way for the first batch to be delivered after months of regulatory uncertainty.
The approval allows Nvidia to resume sales of its second-most powerful AI chip in the Chinese market. According to Reuters, the decision signals improving coordination between Beijing and Washington as China seeks to meet rising AI demand while supporting domestic chip development.
Several leading Chinese technology firms, including ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent, have secured approval to purchase more than 400,000 H200 chips in total. Additional companies have also applied and now await further clearances, sources said.
The move comes as Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang visits China, underscoring the market’s importance to the US chipmaker.
China has approved its first batch of Nvidia H200 AI chip imports, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, marking a shift in position as Beijing seeks to balance its AI needs with support for its domestic semiconductor industry https://t.co/tLshCKKzki pic.twitter.com/yrXCXrYjq1
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 28, 2026Earlier this month, the United States formally authorised Nvidia to export the H200 to China. However, Chinese regulators had delayed approvals as authorities weighed how to manage strong demand for advanced AI hardware while accelerating the domestic semiconductor industry’s growth.
Despite these delays, Chinese firms have placed orders for more than 2 million H200 chips, far exceeding Nvidia’s current available supply. The scale of demand reflects aggressive investment by major internet companies in large data centres to support AI-driven services and compete globally.
The approval also underscores the performance gap that remains between Nvidia’s latest chips and locally developed alternatives. While companies such as Huawei have produced AI processors to rival Nvidia’s earlier H20 model, they still trail the H200 in overall capability.
Analysts say the decision shows Beijing’s willingness to ensure that flagship technology firms retain access to cutting-edge hardware, even as China continues to pursue long-term self-reliance in advanced semiconductors.
