Nvidia’s Jensen Huang praises Chinese tech, seeks deeper collaboration in Beijing
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang on Wednesday praised China's tech companies and vast market potential, expressing optimism about the country's advances in AI, robotics and smart manufacturing, as well as China's growing role in global innovation, during a press briefing held in Beijing as part of his attendance to the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE).
Chinese expert noted that as China has always maintained an open and inclusive attitude toward normal economic and trade exchanges, it is natural that Jensen Huang received a warm welcome during his visit to China.
In response to a question from the Global Times on whether there is still room for cooperation between China and the US in the tech sector, Huang said, "There's always room in any house for at least two people." He emphasized that technological progress is not a zero-sum game, pointing to continued global growth. "I have every optimism and every belief that the US will continue to be very vibrant. China will be incredibly dynamic and continue to grow. And so I've got a very optimistic view of the future," Huang said.
Earlier at the opening ceremony of the CISCE on Wednesday morning, Huang took off his signature leather jacket, appeared in traditional Chinese attire, and delivered part of his speech in Chinese. He said it was his first time delivering a speech in Chinese and praised China's open-source efforts in the AI sector. China's open-source AI, he noted, serves as a catalyst for global progress, giving every country and industry a chance to join the AI revolution, Huang said.
During the media briefing, Huang spoke with particular enthusiasm about China's electric vehicle (EV) sector, calling them "incredible," and said he would love to buy a Xiaomi car.
In response to a media question on whether there is any new product or company that surprises him in China, Huang said "I would say that the EVs in China are probably in the last five years, the most surprising to the world in terms of the advancement."
The reality is, Xiaomi's cars are outstanding, as are BYD's and Li Auto's. The cabins are so spacious they feel like living rooms on wheels, while NIO and Zeekr take luxury to an entirely new level, Huang said, adding "every one of them impresses me."
Beyond EVs, Huang expressed confidence in China's robotics future, citing the country's strengths in AI, mechatronics and its vast manufacturing base. "I wouldn't be surprised if Xiaomi or BYD builds an amazing robot in the near future," he said, adding that these capabilities position China to become a major player in next-generation robotics development.
"China is a very special place because you have three things," Huang told the reporters. "One, you have excellent AI technology already, as I mentioned before. Second, you are extremely good at mechanical and electrical things - it's called mechatronics. China is very good at that. And then the third thing is you have a very large manufacturing base to hire those robots. I'm very optimistic for robotics development here in China."
When asked about Chinese AI companies, especially Huawei, Huang praised China's tech giant Huawei as "a formidable company," noting that it is "already on the dance floor" despite being a relative newcomer to AI acceleration. "Anyone who discounts Huawei, and anyone who discounts China's manufacturing capability, is deeply naive," he said.
During this trip, Huang's announced Tuesday that the US government has approved Nvidia's export license and Nvidia will start selling H20 chips to the Chinese market.
Buoyed by news that the H20 chip will resume sales in China, NVIDIA's stock hit a record high, reaching $172.40 intraday and closing at $170.70 on Tuesday, up 4.04 percent. Jensen Huang's net worth rose to $148.6 billion, becoming the world's sixth richest person, according to Forbes' real-time billionaires list.
Embrace, not exclude
On the first day of the supply chain expo, Nvidia's booth quickly became a crowd magnet, drawing streams of visitors who stopped to watch, snap photos and interact with its AI and robotics displays.
This is Huang's third visit to China this year. As with his previous two visits, his itinerary and remarks received widespread attention.
The semiconductor industry is highly globalized, with Nvidia as a leader, making its participation in the CISCE a natural fit with its industry presence, Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Wednesday, adding that its success in China would signal a positive step for both China and the US.
US president Donald Trump in April imposed export restrictions that stopped Nvidia from selling its H20 chip made for the China market, which cost the US chipmaker $2.5 billion in sales during the first quarter. Nvidia expects a sales hit of $8 billion in the second quarter, according to a Reuters report.
"I went to see President Trump to let him know that I was coming to China … He knew I was going to come here to address the conference (CISCE), and he told me to have a great trip," Huang said on Tuesday, as cited by China Media Group.
Zhou pointed out that Nvidia recently faced significant sales pressure in China, because if the H20 chip fails to enter the market on time, its market share will suffer greatly. "With rapid chip iterations, missed opportunities risk being overtaken by competitors. Moreover, as Chinese chips catch up quickly, regaining lost market share becomes very difficult," he said.
Before Huang's trip to China, a Reuters report said that he met with Trump at the White House. Observers suggested that the discussion aims to seek a "balance" amid the China-US trade tensions.
Gao Lingyun, a research fellow at the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday that from a business perspective, adhering to a position of "business is business and politics should be set aside" is the most rational choice for Nvidia.
"China has always maintained an open and inclusive attitude toward normal economic and trade exchanges. It is natural that Jensen Huang received a warm welcome during his visit to China," Gao said.
However, Zhou said there is a fundamental difference between China and the US in their approach to foreign enterprises.
"China has been actively listening to foreign investors and is committed to providing a level playing field for foreign enterprises, including Nvidia," Zhou said. In contrast, the US has increasingly tightened foreign investment reviews, using so-called national security as an excuse to restrict investments and raising tariffs to complicate multinational operations and supply chains," Zhou said.
Given the US' continued crackdown on China's technology advance, Gao suggested that technological innovation is a global effort with each country's own strengths, and nations should focus on the shared benefits for humanity.
"China prioritizes cooperation and mutual development over the pursuit of technological dominance, which has fostered a business environment that continues to attract foreign investment in China," Gao said.