Huawei unveils chip and computing power roadmap in challenge to Nvidia

Huawei on Thursday publicly detailed its long-term semiconductor ambitions for the first time, pledging annual upgrades to its Ascend AI chips and unveiling plans for powerful computing systems designed to rival Nvidia (NVDA.O).

At its annual Huawei Connect conference in Shanghai, rotating chairman Eric Xu said the company will follow a one-year release cycle that doubles computing power with each generation. Huawei also revealed it has developed its own high-bandwidth memory, a technology currently dominated by South Korea’s SK Hynix (000660.KS) and Samsung Electronics (005930.KS).

Xu said Huawei’s upcoming Atlas 950 supernode, slated for launch in late 2026, will connect 8,192 Ascend chips, while the Atlas 960 in 2027 will link 15,488 chips. He claimed these systems will “far exceed” competitors on key performance metrics. Huawei will also release new Kunpeng server chips in 2026 and 2028.

The roadmap underscores China’s push to reduce reliance on U.S. suppliers amid intensifying trade and technology tensions. This week, Beijing accused Nvidia of antitrust violations and ordered major Chinese firms to halt purchases of its AI chips, according to the Financial Times. The moves come just before a scheduled meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

Huawei first entered chipmaking in 2018 but retreated from public disclosures after U.S. sanctions in 2019 restricted its access to advanced chipmaking tools. Since then, analysts say the company has become a leader in China’s domestic semiconductor push. Its current AI flagship, the Ascend 910C, launched earlier this year, with the Ascend 950 due in 2025, followed by the 960 in 2027 and the 970 in 2028.

Despite these advances, engineers at Chinese tech firms acknowledge Nvidia’s chips remain more powerful. U.S. export controls continue to limit Huawei’s access to cutting-edge manufacturing technology, though Washington recently eased some restrictions on downgraded Nvidia chip sales.

“Huawei is leveraging its networking strengths and China’s power supply advantages to push aggressively into supernodes, offsetting lagging chip manufacturing,” said Wang Shen of Omdia.

Chinese semiconductor stocks rose 3.4% on Thursday after reports of the Nvidia purchase ban. Beijing’s foreign ministry responded cautiously, saying China remains open to dialogue to stabilize global supply chains.