Chinese regulators have barred ByteDance from using NVIDIA chips in new data centres, according to a report by The Information. This ban highlights the nation’s push to move away from relying on US technology. Such efforts have intensified following the US government’s move to tighten restrictions on exports to China.
Compared to other Chinese companies, ByteDance acquired more NVIDIA chips in 2025 as it rushed to secure computing power due to fears of further restrictions. Back in August, firms were instructed to stop new orders of NVIDIA AI chips and instead rely on locally made processors.
Earlier this month, the Chinese government had issued requirements for new data centre projects. More specifically, projects that have received any funding from the state are only allowed to use domestically-made AI chips. This lines up with the country’s increasing efforts to develop an alternative AI ecosystem and attain chip self-sufficiency.
For now, China and the US have agreed to hit pause on the trade wars. However, NVIDIA’s most advanced chips remain forbidden to China, with only scaled down versions allowed in the country. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump declared that the government “will let them deal with NVIDIA, but not in terms of the most advanced”. While the chipmaker has introduced a chip specific for the nation, demand has been low.
(Source: Reuters)
