Nvidia chips don’t belong on the bargaining table

NEWS that Nvidia Corp will not be able to sell its customised artificial intelligence (AI) chips in China caught both the company and markets by surprise.

The disclosure came just a day after Nvidia announced a half-trillion-dollar US investment commitment that was celebrated by President Donald Trump, and followed a media report saying that chief executive officer Jensen Huang had struck a deal safeguarding the H20 chips in China over dinner at Mar-a-Lago.

The confusion represented what is now a usual day in Washington as Trump plays out his chaotic trade games and increases pressure on China to negotiate. Beijing, meanwhile, has signalled that one of its chief concerns heading into potential talks are US policies designed to suppress its modernisation.