Overview

• China’s Internet Supervision Authority summoned Nvidia representatives to explain alleged vulnerabilities and backdoors in its China-specific H20 AI chips.
• The regulator cited US reports indicating that lawmakers had proposed embedding geolocation and remote shutdown capabilities in advanced chips.
• Nvidia developed the H20 as a downgraded variant of its top-tier GPUs to satisfy earlier US export controls that were eased in July.
• The interrogation marks an escalation in the US-China tech rivalry, with Washington seeking to curb China’s AI hardware imports and Beijing pushing for domestic chip self-sufficiency.
• Nvidia asserts that its H20 chips are secure and says it will continue supplying Chinese clients under the renewed US export approval.