Nvidia CEO dismisses China military chip fears ahead of key Beijing visit

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has pushed back against rising concerns that the company’s technology could be used to bolster China's military capabilities. In a recent interview with CNN ahead of his upcoming visit to Beijing, Huang emphasized that China already possesses significant computing capacity and does not require Nvidia's chips to advance its defense sector. “They don’t need Nvidia chips or American tech stacks to build their military,” Huang said, stressing that Beijing’s technological base is already operational and sufficient.

Huang also voiced his opposition to ongoing U.S. export restrictions on advanced chips, arguing that such controls could slow the pace of American innovation. He cautioned that if Chinese developers are denied access to Nvidia’s products, they may accelerate efforts to create homegrown alternatives—potentially undermining the U.S. tech industry’s global edge.

The remarks come ahead of Huang’s planned media briefing in Beijing on Wednesday, July 16. This will be his second trip to China in 2025, following an earlier visit in April. Nvidia officials confirmed the itinerary over the weekend.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government is closely monitoring Huang’s visit amid escalating scrutiny over tech transfers and national security. Several U.S. lawmakers have reportedly urged Huang not to engage with Chinese firms that are suspected of collaborating with military or intelligence agencies. Since 2022, Washington has placed strict limits on the export of Nvidia’s most powerful AI chips to China, citing the risk of potential military applications. Earlier this year, the Biden administration expanded those restrictions to include Nvidia’s H20 AI chips.

Huang’s visit and comments come at a delicate time for U.S.-China tech relations, as both nations grapple with competing goals of innovation, national security, and technological self-sufficiency.