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Tencent Cites Uncertainty Over U.S. AI Chip Imports Amid Government Talks

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Chinese tech giant Tencent said Wednesday it lacks clarity on the status of U.S. AI chip imports, as Beijing and Washington continue negotiations, though it maintains sufficient inventory for its AI operations.

IMPORT UNCERTAINTY
Tencent President Martin Lau noted that ongoing discussions between the two governments have left the company without a definitive answer on AI chip imports, particularly Nvidia’s H20 chips, designed for the Chinese market and recently scrutinized for security concerns. Lau emphasized that the uncertainty will not constrain Tencent’s AI ambitions, as the company has multiple deployment options and adequate supplies for AI model training.

Q2 PERFORMANCE
Tencent reported strong second-quarter results, beating analyst expectations:

  • Revenue: 184.5 billion yuan ($25.7B), +15% YoY (est. 178.5B)

  • Domestic gaming revenue: 40.4 billion yuan, +17% YoY

  • International gaming revenue: 18.8 billion yuan, +35% YoY

  • Marketing services revenue: 35.8 billion yuan, +20% YoY

  • Net profit: 55.6 billion yuan (est. 52.3B)

AI STRATEGY AND INVESTMENTS
Tencent continues to invest in AI while moderating capital expenditure, which fell to 19.1 billion yuan in Q2 after higher spending in previous quarters. The company is focused on sustainable monetization of its AI initiatives.

Tencent has developed its Hunyuan large language model, releasing the “Turbo S” version in February, while also integrating third-party AI models like DeepSeek across platforms including WeChat, which boasts over 1 billion monthly active users.

China Presses Tech Firms Over Nvidia H20 AI Chip Purchases Amid Security Concerns

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Chinese regulators have questioned major domestic tech firms, including Tencent, ByteDance, and Baidu, over their purchases of Nvidia’s H20 AI chips, sources told Reuters. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and other agencies asked companies to justify why they were opting for U.S. chips instead of domestic alternatives and raised concerns that data submitted to Nvidia for U.S. government review could expose sensitive client information.

While Beijing has not issued a direct ban on Nvidia’s H20, companies were cautioned about its use in government-related or security-sensitive projects. Bloomberg earlier reported that firms received official notices discouraging reliance on the chip, while The Information claimed ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent were ordered to halt purchases outright. These reports could not be independently confirmed by Reuters.

Nvidia defended the H20, stressing it is “not a military product or for government infrastructure,” while noting China has never relied on U.S. chips for government operations. The chipmaker designed the H20 specifically for China after U.S. export curbs in late 2023 restricted sales of its most advanced processors. Although Washington briefly banned its sale this year, the Trump administration reversed the decision in July, restoring limited access.

The scrutiny threatens a key revenue source for Nvidia, which made $17 billion from China last fiscal year — about 13% of its global revenue. State media have recently amplified criticism, portraying the H20 as technologically inferior and a security risk. Meanwhile, Chinese chipmakers like Huawei are working to produce domestic AI processors rivaling Nvidia’s offerings, though U.S. sanctions on advanced equipment remain a hurdle for large-scale production.

The tensions underscore Beijing’s push for self-sufficiency in semiconductors as Washington weighs tighter controls. U.S. President Donald Trump has hinted he may allow Nvidia to sell a scaled-down version of its Blackwell AI chip in China, even as concerns grow over the military applications of advanced AI. At the same time, an unusual deal now requires Nvidia and AMD to share 15% of China chip sales revenue with the U.S. government.

Baidu Unveils AI Video Generator and Major Search Engine Upgrade

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China’s Baidu (9888.HK) on Wednesday launched MuseSteamer, an AI-powered video generator designed specifically for business users, alongside a significant upgrade to its search engine features. MuseSteamer can produce videos up to 10 seconds long and is offered in three versions: Turbo, Pro, and Lite.

Over the last year, AI leaders like OpenAI and global tech giants have expanded beyond chatbots into text-to-video and image-to-video generation. In China, competitors including ByteDance, Tencent (0700.HK), and Alibaba (9988.HK) have also released similar models. Unlike many rivals such as OpenAI’s Sora that target consumers with subscription plans, Baidu’s MuseSteamer is currently focused solely on business users, with no consumer app available yet.

The search engine overhaul features a redesigned search box supporting longer queries, voice and image searches, and displays more relevant content powered by Baidu’s AI technology.

Baidu faces rising competition as AI chatbots like ByteDance’s Doubao and Tencent’s Yuanbao gain popularity in the Chinese market.