Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang arrived in Taipei to visit manufacturing partner TSMC as the company navigates U.S.-China tensions over advanced AI chips and prepares for an upcoming earnings release. His brief stop included a dinner with TSMC leaders and an internal speech on his management philosophy, according to statements cited during his airport arrival.
Talks with U.S. on China-focused chip plans
Huang said Nvidia is in dialogue with the U.S. government about offering China a successor to its H20 chip, emphasizing that any decision rests with Washington. He described it as “too soon to know,” when asked about a new product and noted the company is awaiting purchase orders from Chinese customers before buying more supply. According to Reuters, the H20 was developed specifically for China after 2023 export restrictions; Nvidia received permission in July to resume H20 sales, which were halted in April.
Reuters reported that Nvidia has been developing a new AI chip tailored for China and working on a model tentatively named the B30A based on its latest Blackwell architecture. U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month opened the door to potential sales of more advanced Nvidia chips in China beyond the H20 and reached a deal under which the U.S. government would receive 15% of revenue from sales of some advanced chips there, Reuters added.
Managing supply amid shifting guidance
Nvidia asked some suppliers to stop work related to the H20 after Chinese authorities cautioned tech firms about purchasing the chip over information security concerns, Reuters reported. The company said it constantly manages its supply chain to address market conditions and stated that the H20 is not a military product or for government infrastructure. Huang said shipping the H20 to China was not a national security concern and that the ability to ship the chips was appreciated.
TSMC visit highlights next-gen architecture
Huang said he came to thank TSMC, noting that Nvidia has taped out six brand-new chips there, including a new GPU and a silicon photonics processor for next-generation Rubin-architecture supercomputers. He described Rubin as the first architecture in Nvidia’s history where every chip is new and “revolutionary,” adding, “We’ve taped out all of the chips.”
Following U.S. approval to resume H20 sales, Reuters reported Nvidia placed orders for 300,000 H20 chips with TSMC due to robust demand from Chinese companies, before later headwinds emerged from China’s cyberspace regulator and state media. Suppliers cited by Reuters include Foxconn, Amkor Technology for advanced packaging, and Samsung Electronics for high-bandwidth memory.
