ZTE among Chinese firms licensed to buy Nvidia H200 chips, documents show

• ZTE Kangxun Telecom and Maginfra received clearance for Nvidia H200 chips, while Kingsoft subsidiary Zhuhai Hengqin was approved for AMD chips rivaling the H200
• Chinese cloud firms have recently indicated to partners they may soon obtain H200 chips, suggesting progress in import reviews by Chinese authorities
• Washington has tightened AI chip export restrictions since 2022 citing military concerns, but the Trump administration has allowed H200 sales to preserve U.S. tech dominance and Nvidia's market access

Summary: ZTE Among Chinese Firms Licensed to Buy Nvidia H200 Chips

Key Development:

Three Chinese companies have received U.S. approval to purchase advanced AI chips from Nvidia and AMD, expanding the list of authorized entities beyond major internet firms. The companies include ZTE Kangxun Telecom (a ZTE Corp unit), server maker Maginfra, and Zhuhai Hengqin Yunxiang Zhisheng Network Technology (a Kingsoft subsidiary).

Products & Specifications:

ZTE Kangxun and Maginfra received clearance for Nvidia's H200 chips—among the company's most powerful processors used for training and running large AI models. The Kingsoft subsidiary was approved for AMD chips rivaling the H200. The H200 first shipped globally in 2024.

Market Context:

Reuters previously reported that approximately 10 Chinese firms, including Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance, and JD.com, had received approval for H200 purchases, though no deliveries had occurred due to regulatory scrutiny in both Washington and Beijing. Sources now indicate some Chinese cloud firms have informed partners they may soon obtain H200 chips, suggesting progress in Chinese import reviews.

Policy Background:

Washington has progressively tightened restrictions on advanced AI chip exports to China since 2022, citing concerns about military applications. However, the Trump administration has permitted H200 sales, with some officials arguing it promotes U.S. technological dominance. Nvidia has advocated for access to China, one of the world's largest technology markets.

Strategic Tension:

China's push for domestic chip alternatives creates uncertainty about whether approved sales will proceed even after U.S. export licenses are granted, highlighting the ongoing U.S.-China tech rivalry over advanced computing power.