Reuters finds more than $3 billion of Chinese AI projects built around restricted Nvidia chips
A review of more than 150 procurement notices, plans and contracts found projects worth over 23 billion yuan ($3.2 billion), from coastal tech hubs to western provinces, even though Nvidia says it is shut out of China's data-centre market.
Why it matters
Nvidia has told investors it is effectively shut out of China's data-centre market, but the Reuters review suggests its restricted chips remain built into projects run by local governments, universities and regional computing centres. That gap is what US lawmakers are probing after Jensen Huang's resignation, alongside cases of servers moving through Singapore and Malaysia. The $3.2 billion figure covers buildings, power and other infrastructure, not chips alone. Watch whether the expected US rule on remote chip access and the new export bills target the end users of computing power rather than only the buyers.
Key facts
- Reuters reviewed more than 150 Chinese documents
- Combined reported value: over 23 billion yuan ($3.2 billion)
- Includes planned investments, signed contracts and completed installations
- Covers buildings and power, not chips alone
- Huang said Nvidia's China share fell from 95% to zero
- China's commerce ministry and Nvidia did not immediately comment