China’s $3.2 Billion AI Pipeline Still Calls for Nvidia Chips Washington Restricts
Chinese developers are planning and building billions of dollars worth of AI data centers around Nvidia processors restricted by Washington, according to a Reuters investigation.
After examining more than 150 procurement notices, investment plans and corporate records, the news agency identified projects worth over 23 billion yuan ($3.2 billion). Many specify Nvidia's H100, H200, or H800 chips, which provide the computing power used to train and run advanced AI models. However, $3.2 billion represents the total project value, including buildings and infrastructure—not confirmed chip purchases.
Project Details
One proposed computing center in Fujian province is valued at 6.2 billion yuan ($873 million) and specifies H100 servers while seeking financing. In Shaanxi, a state-owned engineering group won a contract for a 3 billion yuan center naming H100 and H200 chips. A 2.26 billion yuan project in Jilin proposes combining Nvidia hardware with Chinese processors.
Market Reality
Nvidia still holds a substantial share of China's AI chip market despite Huawei's expansion. An IDC report estimated Nvidia accounted for 34% of China's AI accelerator shipments in the first half of 2026, compared with 28% for Huawei. Chinese developer Z.AI has already released an image-generation model trained entirely on Huawei chips.
Chinese developers are planning and building billions of dollars worth of AI data centers around Nvidia processors restricted by Washington
Export Restrictions
The United States began restricting advanced AI chip sales to China in 2022 citing national security concerns. In January 2026, the Commerce Department moved H200 export applications to case-by-case review, though sales still require licenses. H100 shipments remain more tightly restricted.
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