Military-linked Chinese university bought Nvidia H200 chips despite U.S. blacklist, records show

Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, faces mounting scrutiny over his relationship with a woman who is reportedly suspected of being a Chinese spy. | Manuel Orbegozo / The New York Times

Nov 12, 2026

Beijing – A Chinese university with deep ties to the People’s Liberation Army bought Nvidia’s powerful H200 artificial intelligence chips last month despite being on a U.S. export blacklist, procurement records show, highlighting gaps in Washington’s efforts to curb China’s access to advanced technology.

The findings come as Nvidia and its CEO Jensen Huang face mounting scrutiny in Washington over his lobbying for looser restrictions on sales of AI chips to China, following reports alleging he was targeted by a Chinese spying operation.

Huang has argued that continued U.S. sales to China would preserve American technological leadership and keep Chinese customers reliant on U.S. technology. But some U.S. lawmakers say access to Nvidia’s most powerful AI chips can speed China’s development of AI systems for weapons design, intelligence analysis and military modernization.

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