China adds domestic AI chips to official procurement list for first time

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China has put domestic artificial intelligence chips on an official procurement list for the first time, bolstering the nation’s tech sector ahead of US President Donald Trump’s move to allow Nvidia exports to the country.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently added AI processors from Chinese groups including Huawei and Cambricon to its government-approved list of suppliers, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The step was designed to enhance the use of domestic semiconductors in China’s public sector and could be worth billions of dollars in new sales to local chipmakers.

That move came before Trump announced on Monday he was lifting US export controls and allowing Nvidia to ship its advanced H200 chips to “approved customers in China”. However, those sales could still be hampered by opposition from some Washington lawmakers and Chinese authorities.

China’s new procurement list has not yet been made public, but several government agencies and state-owned companies have already received the guidance document, said those familiar with the matter. While they have previously been urged to support local chipmakers, it is the first time public sector groups have received written instructions.

The move is a sign of Beijing’s determination to wean the country from relying on American technology and bolster its…