Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang said he remained hopeful of returning to the China market, as US President Donald Trump signalled that the company’s state-of-the-art Blackwell artificial intelligence chips could feature in his coming talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Advertisement
Speaking on the sidelines of Nvidia’s flagship GTC (GPU Technology Conference) in Washington on Tuesday, Huang said he had “100 per cent confidence in President Trump’s ability to cut a great deal for America”.
He noted that Nvidia’s market share in China had fallen from 95 per cent to zero under US export restrictions and China’s downturn, and that the company’s baseline assumption now excluded China.
However, he added: “If it comes back … if President Trump were able to negotiate, or if China would like us to come back, it’s going to be a huge bonus for us.”
Expectations that Nvidia might resume exports of its advanced AI chips to China helped lift its share price by more than 3 per cent in pre-market trading. The stock is on track to propel the US chipmaker towards a record US$5 trillion valuation – the highest in corporate history.
Advertisement
Huang also warned that Nvidia’s absence from China could ultimately harm the United States more than China itself, questioning the long-term logic of Washington’s export controls.
Xi and Trump are due to meet in Busan, South Korea, on Thursday ahead of the Apec summit.