Nvidia CEO Huang to brief media in Beijing amid scrutiny of China ties

Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) Chief Executive Jensen Huang is pushing back against concerns that his company’s technology could aid China’s military, arguing that U.S. export restrictions may do more to accelerate China’s domestic chip capabilities than to contain them.

His comments come as he prepares to host a media briefing in Beijing on July 16, his second trip to China this year, and amid growing pressure from U.S. lawmakers over the company’s presence in the Chinese market.

“We don’t have to worry about it,” Huang said during an interview on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS that aired Sunday, referring to fears that Nvidia’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) products could enhance Chinese military capabilities.

“They simply can’t rely on it. It could be, of course, limited at any time,” he added, suggesting that the risk of sudden U.S. restrictions makes American tech an unreliable foundation for China’s defense sector.

Since 2022, the U.S. has ramped up export controls on high-performance chips bound for China, citing national security risks. Earlier this year, the Trump administration went further by banning the sale of Nvidia’s (NVDA) H20 chip, the company’s most powerful AI product approved for Chinese use. Despite these restrictions, Nvidia (NVDA) continues to see robust demand in China, particularly for its CUDA-based AI platforms, which remain unmatched globally.

Global balancing act

Huang has been vocal about the unintended consequences of U.S. policy. In meetings with U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump last week, he warned that aggressive export curbs may only encourage China to accelerate its own semiconductor innovation.

The tech titan has also expressed support for expanding domestic chip manufacturing, a key goal of the Trump and Biden administrations, as Nvidia (NVDA) still relies heavily on production facilities operated by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), located just off China’s coast.

Trump has praised Nvidia’s (NVDA) rise as emblematic of U.S. tech leadership. The chipmaker recently became the first U.S. company to surpass a $4 trillion market valuation.

Huang’s upcoming trip to Beijing has drawn attention from Capitol Hill. A bipartisan group of senators urged him last week to avoid engaging with Chinese firms tied to military or intelligence operations, as well as companies listed on the U.S. export blacklist.

Still, Nvidia (NVDA) continues to view China, its largest international market, as vital to future growth. The country generated $17 billion in revenue for Nvidia (NVDA) in its latest fiscal year, accounting for roughly 13% of total sales.