The Nvidia logo appears on a smartphone screen, and the flag of China displays as the background on a laptop computer screen in this photo illustration.
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The Chinese government has signaled it could allow some domestic companies like ByteDance and Alibaba to buy Nvidia’s chip built for high-end professional computers, The Information reported on Sunday, citing two people familiar with the matter.
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently asked companies including ByteDance and Alibaba to report their plans to purchase Nvidia’s RTX PRO 5500 chips, according to the report.
The ministry told some Chinese companies the government intends to approve the purchases, The Information report said, adding that some industry executives expect the RTX PRO 5500 chip to avoid U.S. export restrictions.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
“US firms continue to be restricted by a combination of outdated US export controls, which cover gaming products released nearly half a decade ago, and China’s own limits on US imports,” an Nvidia spokesperson said when asked to comment.
Alibaba and ByteDance did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. Reuters could not immediately reach the Chinese government for comment.
Read the full report from The Information here.
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