BEIJING, Jan 24 (Reuters) – Nvidia Corp (NVDA) Chief Executive Jensen Huang is in Shanghai, a person familiar with the matter said on Saturday, as the U.S. chip giant faces fierce competition from local rivals and scrutiny from Chinese authorities.
The timing of Huang’s trip is to celebrate the annual celebration with Nvidia China employees, which is routine.
He is expected to attend an Nvidia party in Shanghai on Saturday before traveling to Beijing, Shenzhen and Taiwan, another person familiar with the matter said.
Santa Clara, California-based Nvidia did not respond to a request for comment. Chinese news outlet Tencent News first reported Huang’s appearance in Shanghai on Friday.
Huang visited China at least three times last year and met with China’s commerce minister in July.
Nvidia is awaiting a decision from Beijing on whether to allow the company to sell its powerful H200 artificial intelligence chip to Chinese customers, a step Washington has already approved.
People familiar with the matter told Reuters this month that Chinese authorities have told customs officers that H200 chips are not allowed into China. It is unclear whether this constitutes a formal ban or a temporary measure.
The H200 is Nvidia’s second most powerful artificial intelligence chip and has become one of the biggest flashpoints in Sino-U.S. relations. While demand from Chinese companies remains strong, it is unclear whether Beijing intends to ban the chip outright to support domestic chipmakers, is still considering restrictions or views potential measures as leverage in negotiations with Washington.
(Reporting by Che Pan and Brenda Goh; Editing by William Mallard)
