CNA Speaks with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang | East Asia Tonight (May 25)

CNA (Channel NewsAsia)
CNA (Channel NewsAsia)May 25, 2026

Why It Matters

Nvidia’s stance highlights the tension between U.S. policy and AI market growth, and foreshadows a faster Chinese drive for self‑sufficient chip technology that could reshape the global AI hardware landscape.

Key Takeaways

  • Nvidia will not abandon China despite U.S. export restrictions.
  • Export bans created a vacuum, boosting Huawei and Chinese AI startups.
  • Huang sees China as the biggest global AI competitor.
  • Nvidia believes its chips can still add value to China.
  • Restrictions may accelerate China's drive for domestic AI semiconductor capability.

Summary

In a candid CNA interview on East Asia Tonight, Nvidia founder‑CEO Jensen Huang addressed the company’s strategy toward China amid tightening U.S. export controls on advanced AI chips.

Huang said the bans left a “vacuum” that Chinese firms such as Huawei and a wave of AI startups have filled, posting record growth. While Nvidia’s H200 GPUs remain unavailable, he argued the technology gap is narrowing as local players iterate on whatever hardware they can obtain.

Key soundbites included, “We are not stepping back from China,” and “China is going to be everybody’s greatest rival.” He also stressed that “Nvidia could add an enormous amount of value to the Chinese market” if allowed to compete.

The remarks signal that Nvidia may forfeit short‑term sales but could still shape China’s AI ecosystem, while Beijing’s push for home‑grown chips may intensify the global semiconductor rivalry and affect investor sentiment across the AI supply chain.

Original Description

In a candid one-on-one with CNA, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang concedes that Huawei has filled a market void after US export controls limited its growth. Also on East Asia Tonight: Huawei says breakthrough in chip design has helped narrow gap with giant TSMC. Also, Japan announces extra budget of US$19 billion to help cushion economic impact from the Middle East conflict.
00:00 Headlines
01:38 CNA speaks with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
06:06 China hails 'unbreakable' ties with Pakistan during PM Shehbaz Sharif's visit
19:14 Huawei says it can produce next-generation 1.4-nanometre chips by 2031
16:35 Japan's US$19b supplementary budget to relieve households of rising energy costs
22:46 Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Taiwan's potential, AI-related job cuts
35:33 Insights into China's Shenzhou-23 mission

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