Tech war: Nvidia CEO Huang says China a ‘key market’ on Beijing visit, as US bans AI chips

Huang arrived in Beijing on Thursday at the invitation of the state-backed China Council for the Promotion of International Trade

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (centre) seen in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Weibo/Yuyuan Tantian

Ann Caoin Shanghai

Published: 3:20pm, 17 Apr 2025Updated: 4:32pm, 22 Apr 2025

Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang has made a surprise visit to Beijing, meeting Chinese officials a day after the US chip giant disclosed that Washington will now require a licence to export its H20 chips to China, a move the company expects to cost it US$5.5 billion.

Huang’s visit comes as Beijing and Washington have locked horns in a tariff war, with Nvidia being one of the US tech leaders bearing the brunt of hostilities between the two countries. Huang had dinner with US President Donald Trump a week ago.

According to posts on a social media account affiliated with the state-owned China Central Television (CCTV), Huang arrived in Beijing on Thursday at the invitation of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, a state-backed body representing Chinese exporters.

Huang, 62, met with Ren Hongbin, chairman of the council, and expressed hope that Nvidia could continue to cooperate with China given that it is a “key market” for the company, according to a report by CCTV on Thursday.

“We regularly meet with government leaders to discuss our company’s products and technology,” an Nvidia representative said on Thursday.

Nvidia’s shares fell 6.9 per cent in the US on Wednesday after it disclosed the H20 restrictions.