Chinese university acquires Nvidia H200 chips despite US sanctions

A Chinese military-linked university purchased Nvidia H200 AI chips through a local supplier, evading US export controls, according to a Reuters investigation.

A Reuters investigation reveals that Northwestern Polytechnical University, a Chinese academic institution developing missiles for the military, purchased advanced Nvidia H200 processors in violation of American sanctions. The procurement was carried out through a local supplier named Shaanxi Bosuan for approximately 875,000 yuan (about $123,000). Additionally, the university rented cloud services with H200, A100, and A800 processors for training AI models and simulating missile structures. The investigation points to a developed market of sanctions evasion, including similar purchases at Shenzhen, Wuhan University of Technology, and Beihang universities. The revelation comes amid a crisis at Nvidia: CEO Jensen Huang admitted to a relationship with a businesswoman suspected of espionage, and the company launched an independent investigation. Three chairmen of key Republican committees summoned Huang for a closed briefing in Congress on November 18.