Jensen Huang, the CEO of US tech company Nvidia, has announced plans to travel to China in June to meet with high-ranking tech executives, despite recent restrictions placing limitations on the export of artificial intelligence chips and technology from the United States to China.
Sources close to Huang report that the CEO is slated to hold meetings with representatives from Tencent Holdings and Bytedance, two of China's largest tech companies. These talks are anticipated to be critical in helping Huang and his team maintain and strengthen their relationships with these top companies in China, ultimately supporting the strategic long-term vision of Nvidia.
Nvidia has always seen China as a key market for the company's products, with the Chinese market accounting for approximately a fifth of the firm's revenue. In an effort to maintain this revenue stream, NVIDIA has been quick to make modifications to its products in response to ongoing export restrictions, designing new chips and technologies tailored specifically for the Chinese market.
While some in the industry may see Huang's planned trip to China as a deft maneuver, others view it more skeptically. Many of the tensions between the United States and China of late have been fueled in part by technological competition, with nations on both sides working diligently to build their AI capabilities and compete to become global leaders in the field. By engaging directly with key figures in the Chinese tech arena, Huang is potentially giving Nvidia a chance to stake a claim in this ongoing race and remain competitive in the years to come.
