China’s state-run newspaper, People’s Daily, has raised strong concerns about the security of Nvidia’s chips. In a commentary titled “Nvidia, how can I trust you?”, the paper said Nvidia must show clear and convincing proof that its chips are secure. Only then can it win back the trust of Chinese users and the market.
People’s Daily shared the article on its official social media account. It said that foreign companies must follow Chinese laws and treat security as a basic requirement, not an afterthought.
The concern comes shortly after China’s top internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), called a meeting with Nvidia.The CAC asked Nvidia to explain the H20 AI chip, which China recently approved for sale after the U.S. lifted an export ban.
Chinese regulators suspect that Nvidia’s chips might contain backdoors — hidden features that someone could use to secretly access or control the chip. They fear this could put Chinese user data and privacy at risk.
In response, an Nvidia spokesperson told Reuters that “cybersecurity is critically important” to the company. They also stressed that Nvidia does not include backdoors in its chips and that no one can remotely control them.
A U.S. proposal to add tracking or location technology to advanced chips sold abroad raised China’s concerns. Chinese officials fear that such features could allow foreign entities to monitor Chinese users.
Nvidia developed the H20 chip for artificial intelligence tasks, following new U.S. export rules for selling advanced AI technology to China. However, Chinese regulators now seem to be questioning if these newer chips are truly safe.
China is one of Nvidia’s largest markets for AI hardware. If these concerns grow, it could hurt Nvidia’s sales and future in the country.
This development comes at a time when global tech tensions are high, especially between the U.S. and China. Each country is trying to protect its own data and digital infrastructure from foreign risks. For Nvidia, rebuilding trust in China could be key to continuing business in the region.
