Jensen Huang's Tangzhuang Outfit Draws Attention in China
Demonstrates Closeness by Speaking Chinese During Speech
Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, who is currently visiting China, attracted attention by appearing in public wearing traditional Chinese attire instead of his trademark black leather jacket. On the 16th, Yonhap News reported that Jensen Huang attended the opening ceremony of the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo held in Beijing, China, wearing a Tangzhuang, a modernized version of Qing Dynasty clothing. The Tangzhuang, also known as a "China jacket," features a stand-up collar that partially covers the neck and is fastened with traditional knots on both sides. Dressed in a black Tangzhuang, Huang rolled up both sleeves to reveal a gray lining adorned with traditional patterns.
Jensen Huang's outfit became a hot topic locally, as it is rare for him to take off his signature leather jacket. On the 14th, he met with Lei Jun, CEO of Chinese tech giant Xiaomi, and insisted on wearing his leather jacket despite the 35-degree heat. At that time, he wittily explained that he wore the leather jacket because "my only suit was not dry-cleaned."
Local observers interpret Huang's decision to wear traditional Chinese attire instead of his trademark leather jacket as a gesture emphasizing the importance of the Chinese market and an effort to connect more closely with the Chinese people. Chinese media outlets such as Xinlang Keji commented that his choice of clothing "demonstrates respect for Chinese culture and reflects the significance of the Chinese market."
Jensen Huang reveals affection for China: "My mother tongue is Chinese"
Jensen Huang is a Taiwanese-American who was born in 1963 in Tainan, southern Taiwan, and immigrated to the United States at the age of nine. During his keynote speech at the opening ceremony, he repeatedly emphasized his Chinese roots, stating, "I am Chinese, but I grew up in the United States," and "My mother tongue is Chinese, but I stopped using it after the age of five." At the beginning of his speech, he also greeted Vice Premier He Lifeng and other distinguished guests in Chinese.
At the end of his speech, he added in Chinese, "Nvidia will continue to operate in China," and "Together with our friends, we will usher in prosperity and a new future in the era of artificial intelligence (AI)." He also praised China's AI development, stating, "AI models such as DeepSeek, Alibaba, Tencent, MiniMax, and Baidu's Ernie Bot are world-class, developed here, openly shared, and have become a driving force for global AI progress."
Regarding the resumption of H20 chip sales, Jensen Huang said, "I am very much looking forward to shipping the H20 as soon as possible," and emphasized, "We have decided to launch a new graphics card called 'RTX Pro.' This graphics card is specifically designed for computer graphics, digital twins, and AI, and is extremely important." According to Reuters, the RTX Pro is designed exclusively for the Chinese market, fully complying with current U.S. government export regulations.
This is Jensen Huang's third visit to China this year, following his trips in January and April. The day before, he made a surprise announcement that the U.S. government had approved the sale of Nvidia's AI chip H20 to China. Previously, the administration of President Joe Biden had restricted exports of high-performance AI chips to China, citing security concerns. To circumvent these regulations, Nvidia developed the lower-spec 'H20' chip for export to China, but the Trump administration blocked even H20 exports starting in April.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
