Experts worry about Nvidia's AI chip sales in China and influence over Trump

China is reportedly considering relaxing regulations to allow major AI firms, including ByteDance and Alibaba, to import millions of banned Nvidia chips over the next year, specifically asking them to share purchase plans for Nvidia’s RTX Pro 5500 gaming chips. This potential shift occurs as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s influence over President Donald Trump grows significantly, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirming that the president is completely aligned with Huang.

Initially, Trump had tightened export controls and considered breaking up Nvidia, but after meeting Huang at Mar-a-Lago, Trump lifted export controls on H200 chips. Critics and policy experts express concern that Nvidia's profit motivations are steering presidential decisions, noting that Huang has convinced Trump to downplay AI risks.

If China lifts curbs on the gaming chips, ByteDance alone plans to order 1 million chips, which would secure two quarters of projected sales for Nvidia and help the company regain momentum in China's AI market. Meanwhile, Huang has defended Chinese firms regarding the distillation of frontier AI models, arguing it constitutes competition rather than robbery, while experts and lawmakers warn about the implications of the administration's close ties with Nvidia.