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Trump’s Approval of Nvidia AI Chip Sales to China Sparks Backlash in Washington

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U.S. lawmakers and former national security officials are pushing back against President Donald Trump’s decision to allow Nvidia to sell its H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, warning the move could weaken America’s AI advantage and bolster Beijing’s military capabilities.

The Trump administration on Tuesday formally approved China-bound sales of Nvidia’s H200, the company’s second most powerful AI processor, setting the stage for shipments to resume despite long-standing concerns in Washington over national security risks.

At a congressional hearing, Matt Pottinger, a former White House Asia adviser during Trump’s first term, said the administration was on the “wrong track” and argued that selling advanced AI chips to China would “supercharge Beijing’s military modernization.” He warned the chips could enhance capabilities ranging from nuclear weapons development to cyber warfare, autonomous drones and intelligence operations, urging Congress to impose stricter guardrails.

Several Republican lawmakers voiced unease. Congressman Michael McCaul said the United States should not be selling sensitive technology to a country that routinely steals American intellectual property. Democratic lawmakers were more direct, with Congressman Gabe Amo likening the policy shift to “handing our opponents our coordinates in the middle of a battle.”

The administration has defended the decision, with White House AI czar David Sacks arguing that controlled sales could discourage Chinese firms such as Huawei from accelerating efforts to develop rival chips. Pottinger dismissed that logic as unrealistic.

Under the new rules, chips exported to China must undergo third-party testing, and China cannot receive more than 50% of the volume sold to U.S. customers. Nvidia must also certify sufficient domestic supply, while Chinese buyers are required to demonstrate security safeguards and pledge not to use the chips for military purposes.

Some lawmakers acknowledged these safeguards. Congressman Brian Mast, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said “know your customer” provisions were significant. Others remained skeptical, noting the rules rely heavily on self-reporting by Chinese buyers and would add strain to the Commerce Department, which oversees export controls.

Adding to the uncertainty, Reuters reported that Chinese customs officials recently indicated Nvidia’s H200 chips were not permitted to enter the country, raising questions about how quickly shipments could actually resume.

Nvidia Says No Upfront Payment Required for H200 AI Chips

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Nvidia said on Tuesday it does not require upfront payment for its H200 artificial intelligence chips, pushing back against reports that it had imposed unusually strict payment terms on Chinese customers.

In a statement to Reuters, Nvidia said it “would never require customers to pay for products they do not receive,” responding to a January 8 report that suggested the company was demanding full advance payment from Chinese buyers seeking access to its AI processors.

According to a source familiar with the matter, Nvidia’s standard commercial terms for Chinese clients have previously included advance payment requirements, though customers were sometimes permitted to place a deposit instead of paying the full amount upfront. The source added that, for the H200 chip, Nvidia has been more cautious in enforcing its conditions due to uncertainty over whether Chinese regulators would approve shipments.

Concerns over regulatory approval have been heightened by ongoing geopolitical tensions and export controls affecting advanced semiconductors. Any requirement for full prepayment would effectively shift financial risk from Nvidia to customers, forcing them to commit capital without assurance that Beijing would authorize the imports or that the chips could be deployed as planned.

The H200 is one of Nvidia’s most advanced AI accelerators, designed for large-scale data center workloads, and demand for the chip has surged globally as companies race to expand AI computing capacity.

Nvidia and auto suppliers roll out partnerships to revive stalled self-driving ambitions

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After years of costly failures and repeated delays, the self-driving car industry is once again pushing forward as chipmakers, technology firms and auto suppliers bet that artificial intelligence and deep partnerships can reignite progress. Companies including Nvidia are positioning themselves at the center of this renewed effort, even as automakers remain cautious about costs, scalability and consumer demand.

Fully autonomous vehicles promise to transform transportation, but delivering systems safe enough for public roads has proved far more complex and expensive than initially expected. While a handful of players such as Waymo and Tesla have chosen to pursue in-house development, legacy automakers including General Motors and Ford Motor have pulled back from their own fully autonomous programs.

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, a wave of new collaborations signaled fresh momentum. Amazon Web Services and German supplier Aumovio announced a partnership to support the commercial rollout of self-driving vehicles. Autonomous trucking firm Kodiak AI teamed up with Bosch to scale production of autonomous hardware and sensors.

Nvidia also unveiled its next-generation autonomous driving platform, which will underpin a robotaxi alliance involving Lucid Group, Nuro and Uber. Separately, Mercedes-Benz said it will launch a new advanced driver-assistance system in the United States later this year, powered by Nvidia chips, allowing limited autonomous operation on city streets under driver supervision.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly seen as the key to overcoming some of the industry’s biggest hurdles. Generative AI tools are speeding up development and validation while reducing the resources required, according to Ozgur Tohumcu of AWS, who described AI as a “big accelerant” for autonomous driving.

Western automakers are also feeling pressure from China, where regulators last month approved two vehicles with Level 3 autonomous capabilities, allowing hands-off driving under certain conditions. Still, industry leaders caution against unrealistic expectations. Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon, warned against “market fantasy” that fully self-driving cars could soon become commonplace, noting that automakers currently prefer revenue-generating Level 2 driver-assistance systems.

Robotaxi trials are expanding in small pockets across China, the United States, Europe and the Middle East, but scaling them remains costly. According to Jeremy McClain, expanding coverage requires massive data, fleets and logistics investments.

The industry’s long history of hype still looms large. Tesla CEO Elon Musk famously predicted in 2019 that a million self-driving Teslas would be on the road within a year, yet only launched a limited robotaxi service last year. Early setbacks, including the shutdown of GM’s Cruise unit after a high-profile accident, forced many automakers to retreat.

Nvidia executives argue that AI breakthroughs are finally addressing long-standing weaknesses, particularly in handling rare “edge cases.” Ali Kani said foundational advances are making the technology feel closer to readiness. Analysts, however, say Tesla still holds a significant lead, even as Nvidia’s open-source platform gives rivals a shared alternative.