Senators Ask Nvidia CEO to Uphold US Export Controls During China Trip
Senate Banking Committee ranking member Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., a member of the committee, urged Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang July 11 to avoid undermining U.S. export restrictions during his upcoming trip to China to discuss AI cooperation.
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In a letter to Huang, the senators said they're concerned that he continues pushing to export advanced AI computing chips to China even though the technology could enhance Chinese military and intelligence capabilities.
“We are worried that your trip to [China] could legitimize companies that cooperate closely with the Chinese military or involve discussing exploitable gaps in the U.S export controls,” the senators wrote. “We request that you refrain from meeting with representatives of any companies that are working with [China’s] military or intelligence establishment, are named on the [Commerce Department’s] Entity List, or are suspected to have engaged in activities that undermine export controls."
In an emailed statement, an Nvidia spokesperson defended the trip. "America wins when U.S. technology sets the global standard," the spokesperson said. "China has one of the largest populations of developers in the world, creating open-source foundation models and non-military applications. Every model should run best on the U.S. technology stack, encouraging nations worldwide to choose America."
In May, Warren and Banks told Nvidia they’re concerned the company's planned research facility in Shanghai “risks violating the spirit, if not the written word, of U.S. export control regulations" (see 2505290033). An Nvidia spokesperson downplayed the significance of the new facility, saying the company was simply leasing new space for existing employees.