China Expected to Approve NVIDIA H200 Imports Soon... Jensen Huang Visits China

Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, has visited China. With speculation mounting that China will soon approve imports of NVIDIA's H200 artificial intelligence (AI) chip, attention is focused on the outcomes of his visit.

According to Chinese media outlets such as Tencent Technology and the state-run China Daily on January 24, CEO Huang arrived in Shanghai the previous day and began his schedule by visiting NVIDIA's newly established office in the city.

Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, is giving a speech at the final special session of the 'APEC CEO Summit' held at Gyeongju Arts Center in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do on October 31, 2025. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Tencent Technology, citing multiple sources, reported that CEO Huang met with employees, answered various questions, and reflected on the company's major events from the previous year.

One source stated that the questions were not particularly challenging and mainly focused on this year's major chip-related topics. Regarding the H200, the source added, "No one asked about it."

It is known that, as with his early-year visit to China last year, CEO Huang plans to visit NVIDIA's offices in Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen, attend New Year's gatherings, and also participate in New Year's greetings events hosted by suppliers.

CEO Huang typically visits China ahead of the Lunar New Year, but this trip is drawing particular attention from the industry as it comes amid expectations that the Chinese government will soon approve H200 imports. Many interpret his visit as an effort to open the way for exports of this chip to China.

The U.S. government had previously banned exports of the H200 to China, but at the end of last year, following a decision by President Donald Trump, the relevant regulations were revised to allow exports to China on a case-by-case review basis. However, there were suspicions that the Chinese government had effectively imposed an import ban by instructing customs to block H200 clearance and urging companies not to purchase the chip.

Bloomberg, citing sources the previous day, reported that the Chinese government had instructed domestic technology companies to prepare to place orders for the H200. Earlier this month, at the CES 2026 exhibition in Las Vegas, CEO Huang was asked whether he expected China to approve imports of the H200. He responded optimistically, saying, "When the purchase orders arrive, that will say everything."

CEO Huang visited China three times last year in connection with the sale of the low-performance H20 chip, which is intended for export to China.

Last year, he skipped President Trump's second inauguration, which was attended by many big tech leaders, and instead traveled to China, where he distributed hongbao (traditional cash gifts) to employees, demonstrating his friendly approach. Additionally, at the China Supply Chain Expo in July of that year, he began his opening speech in Chinese and attracted attention by wearing traditional Chinese attire instead of his trademark black leather jacket.