nvidia – Radio Free https://www.radiofree.org Independent Media for People, Not Profits. Wed, 23 Jul 2025 15:00:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.radiofree.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-Radio-Free-Social-Icon-2-32x32.png nvidia – Radio Free https://www.radiofree.org 32 32 141331581 Silicon Valley Sociocide https://www.radiofree.org/2025/07/23/silicon-valley-sociocide/ https://www.radiofree.org/2025/07/23/silicon-valley-sociocide/#respond Wed, 23 Jul 2025 15:00:26 +0000 https://dissidentvoice.org/?p=160125 The rise of modern capitalism created and reflected the industrial technological revolution. The technology of the steam engine, coal, oil, and gas energy grids, and machinery, the railroads, automotive technology, and the telegram and telephone were all essential technological changes enabling the creation of the factory and industrial mass production. The new industrial technology shaped […]

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The rise of modern capitalism created and reflected the industrial technological revolution. The technology of the steam engine, coal, oil, and gas energy grids, and machinery, the railroads, automotive technology, and the telegram and telephone were all essential technological changes enabling the creation of the factory and industrial mass production. The new industrial technology shaped the nature of productive relations in the machine age, making possible both industrial production itself in the factory and the distribution of supplies and goods that sustained productive and market relations. Vast concentrations of capital and corporate power crystallized in the Robber Baron era of the late 19th century. This was an era of sociopathic accumulation that dehumanized and exploited workers, while creating gaping inequality. The labor unions that arose in its wake created a powerful corrective that also nurtured class solidarity and a sense of the common good.

The shift to post-industrialism was associated with the rise of a powerful new set of capitalist elites and new corporate centers of production, finance, and communication. In the 21st century, Silicon Valley became the symbol of the new post-industrial high-tech world. It would become the showcase of the new high-tech companies, such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple, which were becoming the first trillion-dollar companies, led by tycoons such as Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Peter Thiel, all fabulously wealthy members of the Big Tech power elite. Silicon Valley introduced itself as a modern miracle, bringing unprecedented new productivity and prosperity that would benefit both owners and workers, and contribute to the betterment of the general population with magical new products such as the personal computer, the iPhone, and the new internet-based world of online culture and communication on social media. This new world revolutionized the economic and social spheres, while also having major uses and implications for politics and the military. Because billions of people globally now have iPhones or personal computers, with access to the new online universe of the internet and social media, Silicon Valley seemed to open up not only a transformative new economy for entrepreneurs and knowledge workers but a transformed, newly connected world of online social communication and relationships.

This is not entirely an illusion. The online world does open up new social connections and political connections, with social media being a powerful new tool for the younger generation to build new friendships, communities, and politics. But Silicon Valley’s fantastic new array of electronic communications and online connections may also prove to be a gateway to weak social relations and ultimately the end of strong face-to-face social relationships, as well as democracy itself. We face a sociocidal transformation fueled by high tech, with Silicon Valley also proffering its own politics of authoritarianism. Sociocide is the process by which human connection is largely severed, and individuals are only concerned for themselves. A sociocidal society is one in which solidarity is nonexistent and meaningful human relationships are destroyed.

Several sociocidal forces emerge directly from the economic restructuring created by huge Big Tech firms, especially the “Magnificent Seven,” whose individual worth now reaches into the trillions:  Microsoft, Apple, NVIDIA, Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Meta (Facebook), and Tesla. One is the interest of these corporate high-tech elites, much like their corporate counterparts in other spheres, in eroding the face-to-face workplace and social ties that can challenge their power. In the workplace, that translates into the intensified attack on secure employment, unionism, and a collective physical workplace. The intent is to weaken the social relations of workers in the workplace – and more broadly, to subvert the solidarity and face-to-face connections of people throughout society that can challenge authoritarianism in both work and politics.

Focusing first on the workplace, the Magnificent Seven play a special role here by creating and developing the technology – including the personal computer, iPhone, internet apps, AI, robots, and social media — that allows corporate elites to create a precariat of dispersed and contingent workers, increasingly separated from each other, while also replacing millions of workers and transferring their jobs to robots and other AI inventions.

The most rapid replacement of workers by robots and AI is in high-skill jobs. Matt Sigelman, president of the Human Resources Institute, summarized his Institute’s widely circulated report on AI, saying, “There’s no question the workers who will be most impacted are those with college degrees, and those are the people who always thought they were safe.” He indicates that: “Companies in finance, including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley, have some of the highest percentages of their payrolls likely to be disrupted by generative A.I. Not far behind are tech giants like Google, Microsoft and Meta.”

Tech workers, talented and highly trained, are developing the tools allowing their companies to eliminate many of their own jobs. Meanwhile, employers are also using robots to replace low-skill workers. The sociocidal tech impulse of Silicon Valley, as in other sectors, is embraced because of its profit-saving capacity. And the fastest way to increase profit is to reduce wages, usually by weakening relations among employees or busting unions.

The Magnificent Seven have used their overwhelming economic power to directly undermine unions, the most effective form of worker social relations and organization. In January 2024, Elon Musk, now legendary for his anti-union and broader right-wing views, filed a lawsuit in federal courts to declare unconstitutional the National Labor Relations Board, which protects and regulates workers’ right to organize. In August 2024, just before his re-election, Trump joked with Musk about firing workers, complimenting Musk during a two-hour conversation on X for firing Tesla workers who wanted to strike. “They go on strike,” Trump said to Musk, “and you say, ‘That’s OK, you’re all gone.’” Trump then added, “You’re the Greatest!” The UAW filed labor charges against both Trump and Musk for the unfair labor practices that the two had celebrated; Musk’s Tesla had clashed with union activists for years, and the NLRB in 2021 had found that the non-union Tesla violated labor laws when it fired a union organizer.

One of Musk’s Magnificent Seven compatriots, Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, quickly joined in Trump and Musk’s union-busting party, filing a copycat suit to make the NLRB and unions unconstitutional. Here, we see the world’s two richest men, leaders of the High-Tech Robber Barons, exploiting economic size to reap the fruit of their technology’s economic power. They are seeking a revolutionary breakdown of workplace social relations, moving from the sociopathy of the first Gilded Age to the sociocide of today’s Gilded Age.

The Magnificent Seven’s power undercuts workplace social relations and fiercely attacks union solidarity in the name of free-spirited libertarianism running rampant in Silicon Valley. The broader corporate success in drastically weakening unions is key to sociocide in the entire US labor force and has been achieved not only by the anti-union fervor of corporations since the New Deal but also by the zeal of the Republican Party from Reagan through Trump to make the destruction of labor solidarity and unions a top political priority.

_________________________________________

The above is an excerpt from Charles Derber’s most recent book, Bonfire: American Sociocide, Broken Relations, and the Quest for Democracy.

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This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Charles Derber.

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Fatal Decline of the Imperial Power https://www.radiofree.org/2025/06/02/fatal-decline-of-the-imperial-power/ https://www.radiofree.org/2025/06/02/fatal-decline-of-the-imperial-power/#respond Mon, 02 Jun 2025 14:45:12 +0000 https://dissidentvoice.org/?p=158765 A previous article, “Challenging China,” described the mixed and managed economy that enables China (PRC) to overcome the economic pressures posed by an overly contentious America. More to it. China’s mixed and managed economy is designed to match its stage of development and is well managed. The U.S. non-managed economy has no design and does […]

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A previous article, “Challenging China,” described the mixed and managed economy that enables China (PRC) to overcome the economic pressures posed by an overly contentious America. More to it.

China’s mixed and managed economy is designed to match its stage of development and is well managed. The U.S. non-managed economy has no design and does not match its advanced stage of economic development. China uses exports to grow its economy and limit debt. The U.S. runs severe deficits in its trade balance and needs a growing debt to finance the trade deficit and to increase the GDP. The rapidly growing debt portends economic decline, and there is no certified way to escape the predicament. U.S. hegemony and world leadership appears doomed. The sooner the U.S. leaders recognize the dangers and readjust the economy, the less will be the slide. More on this later. Facts and statistics supply the proof that the PRC has successfully met the challenges.

Overly contentious USA

Using sanctions from legislative directives, rather than pursuing cooperative efforts to combat China’s rise to the world’s number one industrial power, the U.S motivates China to become self-sufficient in technological applications, temporarily interrupts China’s advances, and eventually causes havoc to American companies

Citing security concerns, the U.S. Congress, in 2019, passed the National Defense Authorization Act and essentially banned use of telecommunication equipment from 5G network pioneer Huawei and smartphone manufacturer ZTE. In June 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated ZTE a national security threat. The security concerns proceeded from a possibility that the Chinese government could demand the habits of American citizens, similar to the information that Google and a host of advertising firms gather from internet searchers.

Huawei is of more major significance, but ZTE’s shrugging off the sanctions deserves mention. Its steady revenue growth until facing competition from other companies, relates its success.

This telecom company entered the smartphone market in 2010 and now has the 12th spot in the listing of the Largest Smartphone Manufacturers & Brands in the World. ZTE is also the 6th largest supplier in the Global 5G Infrastructure Market.

Huawei, global leader in development of 5G networks and China’s technology powerhouse, reeled from U.S. sanctions and stumbled as a boxer from an unaware punch. Predictions had Huawei barely surviving. Labelled as a company the U.S. could not do with, Huawei is now the company the world cannot do without. Refuting U.S. attempts to restrict its advances, Huawei expanded into new markets, into new industries, and developed unique alternatives to the denied technologies.

After years of “barely surviving,” Huawei is a leading network company on the globe, having constructed approximately 30% of worldwide 5G base stations, and is fourth in global smartphone manufacturing. After losing access to Google’s Android and Oracle’s software, Huawei developed its own operating system, Harmony OS, which has become the second most popular mobile operating system in China and, by 2025, was installed in over 900 million devices.

In 2022, the Commerce Department informed NVidia and AMD to restrict exports of AI-related chips to China, and informed chip equipment makers — Lam Research, Applied Materials and KLA — to restrict sending tools to the PRC for manufacturing advanced chips. China’s tech giant responded by challenging NVidia artificial intelligence dominance with its Ascend 910D AI processor chip, which “reflects China’s strategic push to develop indigenous semiconductor capabilities.” The U.S. did not respond to Huawei’s advance with its own technology advancements and again responded with threats. On May 15, 2025, the Trump administration warned that using Huawei’s AI chips might violate US export laws.

Ignoring U.S. threats, Huawei expanded use of its chips into the automotive industry and set a new standard for smart driving and self-driving technology.

Huawei’s ambitious undertaking includes the introduction of cutting-edge smart vehicles equipped with advanced autonomous driving technologies. The company is leveraging its prowess in artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to enhance vehicle performance and safety features. With a focus on seamless connectivity and user experience, Huawei is positioning itself as a significant player in the highly sought-after smart driving space, previously dominated by traditional automotive giants and tech firms like Tesla.

In August 2023, President Biden issued an Executive Order “Addressing United States Investments in Certain National Security Technologies and Products in Countries of Concern.” The order prohibited U.S. investments in semiconductors and microelectronics, quantum information technologies, and artificial intelligence technologies in China. In November 2024, “The U.S. reportedly ordered TSMC to halt shipments of advanced chips to Chinese customers that are often used in artificial intelligence applications.”

As a result, Xiaomi, a leading smartphone manufacturer, which has expanded into electric SUV car production, developed its 3-nanometre XRing O1 system-on-a-chip (SoC). Following Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek, Xiaomi became the fourth tech company in the world to design a 3-nanometer mobile SoC for mass production. A Chinese company can now compete with American companies in selling the unique chips, and Qualcomm, which has been a long-standing supplier of mobile chips to Xiaomi, might have its sales disrupted.

Statistics tell the story

What have all these underhanded means to stifle the Chinese economy accomplished? Statistics in the following table tell the story. The Chinese economy surpassed the U.S. economy in 2022 and is leaving Uncle Sam far behind.


The table shows that China deserves consideration for the title of the world’s greatest economy. Start with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a favorite statistic for those who boast of America’s prominence.

The U.S. has a higher GDP than China. China has a higher GDP/PPP. Unlike nominal GDP, which uses current exchange rates, GDP/PPP adjusts for differences in price levels between countries and provides a more realistic measure of the value of goods and services produced. Another consideration is the value given to components of the GDP. Capital, hard goods, and agriculture supply the most needed wants to a community, and their purchases play a more significant role in the economy. The service economy, a paramount feature of the U.S. economy, exaggerates its GDP. One dollar of purchase in goods production requires time for feedback to the manufacturer before other goods are replenished and additional purchases augment the GDP. Purchases in the service economy quickly pass the same money from one service provider to another and elevate the GDP. Industrial output, whether for domestic or foreign use, more appropriately demonstrates the robustness of an economy. China leads the United States in industrial output and demonstrated robustness by becoming the leading manufacturer and exporter of automobiles.

A comparison between two dynamos of each nation, U.S. Tesla and China BYD, automobile manufacturers and innovators that rose rapidly against established competitors, complete the story. BYD, which started at about the same time as Tesla, has surpassed Tesla in automobile sales.

BYD Revenue

Tesla Revenue

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More than that, BYD has accomplished what was never considered possible; with a fully charged battery and a full tank of gas, unbiased testing of its new hybrid auto technology showed a driving range of 1,305 miles before charge or fill up. Its fully electric models use advanced sodium ion batteries and, in 5 minutes, can be charged to obtain a 250 mile range. A vertically integrated company, which manufactures its parts and is a leading provider of electric car batteries, BYD sells its autos at the lowest prices in China.

Revisions by BYD include paring the price of its Seagull hatchback to 55,800 yuan ($7,780), a 20% reduction to a model that was already the carmaker’s cheapest and one that had garnered global attention for its sub-$10,000 price tag. The Seal dual-motor hybrid sedan (direct competitor to the $37,000 Tesla Model 3) saw the biggest price cut at 34%, or by 53,000 yuan to 102,800 yuan ($14,333). (ED: These may be temporary price cuts.)

Fatal Decline of the Imperial Power

The U.S. cannot compete with or contain China. Using China as a scapegoat for its global economic decline has proved counterproductive. Better for the U.S. to cooperate with the PRC, realistically examine its economy, become aware of its limitations, and take decisive action to prevent a fatal decline.

The hindrances to economic progress is fourfold:

(1) Debt drives the economy and the debt has become unmanageable.
(2) Manufacturers have established offshore facilities to open new markets and to compete more effectively.
(3) Off shore production and having the dollar as an international currency has produced a high trade deficit.
(4) U.S. markets in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America have eroded.

Debt drives the U.S. economy and, the two charts indicate that without increasing the exorbitant debt, the economy will stagnate.

GDP/PPP

 

All Sectors Debt

Given a money supply to purchase goods and services, how can production and eventual sales of goods and services advance without increases in the money supply? One way is to increase the velocity of money, which occurred with on-time inventory, credit card purchasing, and computer speedup of financial transactions. These phenomena occurred during past decades and exploded the GDP. Another means is by having a positive trade balance; selling goods externally. If these means are not occurring, and they no longer are, increases in the money supply are required to increase production and sell additional goods.

U.S. goods trade deficit increased in 2024 to a record $1.2 trillion, and, although many economists excuse the trade deficit, saying that,

a trade deficit can only arise if foreigners invest more in the US than Americans invest abroad. In other words, a country can only have a trade deficit if it also has an equally sized investment surplus. The US is able to sustain a large trade deficit because so many foreigners are eager to invest here,

is more a rationalization than a reality. The trade deficit arose because American industry found it more profitable to produce overseas and made the dollar the international currency. As an international currency, the dollar is in demand and its exchange rate is high compared to other currencies. The strong dollar raises the prices of U.S. goods, makes its exports expensive and its imports cheap. Yes, the balance of payments must be equalized, and the dollars return as either purchase of government securities ─ one principal reason for rise in government debt ─ or purchase of U.S. assets. The former has become unwieldly, leading to high interest rates and the latter gives foreign interests increased power in the American system. Having a positive balance of trade reduces government debt and foreign influence.

Government debt is not the total problem. A system that exists by debt is the real problem. For a free wheeling and profit first economy that generates huge trade deficits to grow, the money supply must grow. Because money is created by either bank loans (debt) or Federal Reserve borrowings from the Treasury (debt), all money is debt. For the economy to continually grow, debt must continually grow. Soon, financing the debt and its increasing interest rates will be a difficult problem. Credit will freeze, loans will default, and the money supply will shrink. Boom will become bust. The United States has no choice but to have its economy more managed and align government and industry in common goals that correct the trend to a fatal decline.

Tariffs as a government money raiser and incentive to produce locally will be another tax on the American consumer and will not stimulate private investment in internal production to replace foreign imports. So, why not maintain low priced imports and tax the consumer for another goal ─ government investment in competitive industries. Cooperation between government and industry, rather than free-wheeling economics will enable more rational decisions and predictable operations.

The United States pioneered the global economy but globalization is no longer a perfect fit for the economically mature nation. Markets once lost are usually lost for a long time. Preserving present markets and finding niche markets for specialized goods, which the omnipresent U.S. economy has many, will stabilize exports.

History shows that private industry has never been the source of solutions to economic lapses. Changes in life style and a return to the cohesion and social legislation that characterized the Franklin Delano Roosevelt era might solve the economic, social, and political declines predicted for America’s future. The democratic socialization of America is begging to begin.

The post Fatal Decline of the Imperial Power first appeared on Dissident Voice.


This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Dan Lieberman.

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EXPLAINED: Nvidia H20 AI chip used for DeepSeek hit with export restrictions to China (RFA) https://www.radiofree.org/2025/04/16/explained-nvidia-h20-ai-chip-used-for-deepseek-hit-with-export-restrictions-to-china-rfa/ https://www.radiofree.org/2025/04/16/explained-nvidia-h20-ai-chip-used-for-deepseek-hit-with-export-restrictions-to-china-rfa/#respond Wed, 16 Apr 2025 20:25:53 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=f8bedcd667f87cafb03a1d6d9de2c833
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

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Media Watch: Rumors hit chipmaker Nvidia amid US-China row https://rfa.org/english/factcheck/2024/12/20/afcl-china-nivida-rumors/ https://rfa.org/english/factcheck/2024/12/20/afcl-china-nivida-rumors/#respond Fri, 20 Dec 2024 10:59:48 +0000 https://rfa.org/english/factcheck/2024/12/20/afcl-china-nivida-rumors/ The escalating chip row between the United States and China has taken a sharp turn as tensions over semiconductor technology grow. With Donald Trump set to begin his new term as president in January, uncertainties surrounding U.S. policies are fueling speculation.

Amid this volatile environment, rumors targeting American chipmaker Nvidia have surfaced in China, particularly after Beijing announced an antitrust investigation into the company.

As the world’s largest provider of processors that power artificial intelligence, Nvidia is now under scrutiny just weeks after the U.S. unveiled a sweeping semiconductor export control package aimed at curbing China’s technological advances.

Below is what AFCL found.

Did Nvidia’s CEO mock Chinese people?

A video emerged in Chinese-language social media posts that claim it shows Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang mocking Chinese people by saying they enjoyed pain and suffering.

The caption of the video shared here and here reads: “Nvidia’s founder Jensen Huang provocatively says: The life of ordinary Chinese people is full of pain and suffering, which they call will and grit. And the room laughs.”

The 54-second video shows what appears to be Huang’s media interview.

Some Chinese online users claimed that Jensen Huang mocked Chinese people.
Some Chinese online users claimed that Jensen Huang mocked Chinese people.
(Screenshot/Weibo)

But the claim is false.

A keyword search found the original video published on the YouTube channel of the Chinese American Semiconductor Professional Association on Dec. 11, 2023.

A review of the video shows Huang was actually discussing the benefits of being raised by Chinese parents.

At the video’s 54-minute mark, a member of the audience can be heard asking Huang what qualities he believed most contributed to his success.

In response, Huang stressed the importance of character in success, saying that he thought the questioner was “blessed to have been raised (as) Chinese.”

He added: “One of the characteristics of Chinese, of course, is the ability to tolerate long-term pain and suffering. If you’ve been raised by a Chinese parent, you have enjoyed a lot of pain and suffering.

“Isn’t that right? And so, in fact, the ability to endure pain and suffering is called grit, GRIT. It is now recognized as one of the most important characteristics of successful people and so I wish upon you a lifelong, plenty of pain and suffering.”

It’s clear that Huang was referring to the broader values and traditions he associated with Chinese culture when he mentioned the term “Chinese”, not specifically “Chinese nationality.”

Does a photo show Huang getting drunk in Vietnam after ‘losing’ the Chinese market?

A photo of Huang was shared on Douyin, China’s equivalent of TikTok, on Dec. 15, 2024, alongside a claim that it shows Huang “getting drunk” in Vietnam after “losing” the Chinese market.

The photo and the claim began to circulate online after China opened an antitrust investigation into Nvidia.

“Down at losing the Chinese market, Jensen Huang drowned his sorrows on a Vietnamese street corner, going grey haired overnight,” the caption of the image reads.

“Don’t know where his new beloved leather jacket went, he’s just wearing a T-shirt, clearly distraught.”

Some Chinese online users claimed Huang got drunk in Vietnam after the recent investigation by China was launched against Nvidia.
Some Chinese online users claimed Huang got drunk in Vietnam after the recent investigation by China was launched against Nvidia.
(Screenshot/Douyin)

But the claim is false.

A reverse image search found the corresponding photo published in media reports in December 2023, months before China’s recent investigation against the American chipmaker.

The same photo was also uploaded by Vietnam’s consul-general in San Francisco Hoang Anh Tuan on his Facebook page on Dec. 10, 2024.

The purported recent photo of Huang was actually taken during a visit to Vietnam in 2023.
The purported recent photo of Huang was actually taken during a visit to Vietnam in 2023.
(Screenshots/Facebook and Vietnam+)

Is Nvidia pulling out of China due to the investigation?

A claim has been repeatedly circulated in Chinese-language posts that Nvidia plans to exit China due to Beijing’s antitrust investigation.

However, the claim lacks evidence.

Nvidia dismissed the claim on Dec. 12, a few days after China’s announcement of the investigation, and said it would “continue” to serve Chinese customers.

“China is an important market for Nvidia. Nvidia adheres to the original intention of putting customers first and will continue to provide Chinese customers with the highest quality and most efficient products and services,” the company said in its official Weibo page.

Screenshot of Nvidia’s statement dismissing online rumors about its plan to exit China.
Screenshot of Nvidia’s statement dismissing online rumors about its plan to exit China.
(Screenshot/Weibo)

Separately, Huang said in November that the chipmaker remained committed to maintaining its presence in mainland China.

Keyword searches found no credible reports or statements that show Nvidia’s plan to exit China.

Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Taejun Kang.

Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in today’s complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers’ understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Rita Cheng and Alan Lu for Asia Fact Check Lab.

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China hits US chipmaker Nvidia with antitrust investigation https://rfa.org/english/china/2024/12/10/china-nvidia-investigation-chip/ https://rfa.org/english/china/2024/12/10/china-nvidia-investigation-chip/#respond Tue, 10 Dec 2024 04:04:08 +0000 https://rfa.org/english/china/2024/12/10/china-nvidia-investigation-chip/ TAIPEI, Taiwan – China has opened an antitrust investigation into American chipmaker Nvidia, the world’s largest provider of processors that power artificial intelligence, weeks after the U.S. announced a semiconductor export control package against China.

The U.S. package, curbing exports to 140 companies, was part of its latest major effort to block China’s access to and production of chips capable of advancing artificial intelligence for military purposes. China retaliated, tightening controls on the export of key raw materials to the U.S. and cautioning Chinese companies against buying American chips.

The Chinese government believed Nvidia’s purchase of Israeli networking company Mellanox could violate its anti-monopoly laws, said China’s State Administration for Market Regulation in a statement on Monday, without specifying details. China approved the regulation in 2020.

Nvidia had not responded to China’s announcement of its investigation at the time of publication, but its shares fell 2.2% in pre-market trading in New York.

The announcement came a few days after Nvidia signed an agreement to establish an artificial intelligence research and development center in Vietnam, which is widely seen as an effort by the U.S. chipmaker to reduce its reliance on China, amid the tit-for-tat China-U.S. chip row.

The Biden administration’s latest export controls were the third such round of restrictions on the sale of chips to China. The U.S. Commerce Department said the restrictions would slow China’s development of AI chips, which could, according to the U.S., be used to gain a military advantage.

China’s Commerce Ministry said such restrictions would pose “a significant threat” to the stability of global supply chains.

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Nvidia has been a key supplier of high-performance GPUs and AI chips to Chinese companies. In the July quarter of 2024, China accounted for approximately 12% of Nvidia’s revenue, amounting to about US$3.7 billion – a more than 30% increase from the previous year.

Although Nvidia CEO Jenson Huang said in November that the chipmaker remained committed to maintaining its presence in mainland China, the U.S. chipmaker has also been eyeing ways to reduce its reliance on China.

Apart from Vietnam, Nvidia has increased partnerships and investments in other Southeast Asian countries in recent years including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

Edited by RFA Staff.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Taejun Kang for RFA.

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Chipmaker Nvidia teams up with Vietnam for AI amid US-China row https://rfa.org/english/vietnam/2024/12/09/vietnam-nvidia-chip-ai/ https://rfa.org/english/vietnam/2024/12/09/vietnam-nvidia-chip-ai/#respond Mon, 09 Dec 2024 04:01:53 +0000 https://rfa.org/english/vietnam/2024/12/09/vietnam-nvidia-chip-ai/ The U.S. chipmaker Nvidia signed an agreement to establish an artificial intelligence research and development center in Vietnam, a few weeks after the U.S. announced a semiconductor export control package against China, one of the American firm’s key markets.

Vietnam has recently become an attractive place for Western companies looking for ways to reduce their reliance on China, as geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing intensify.

“We are delighted to open Nvidia’s R&D center to accelerate Vietnam’s AI journey,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia, in a statement on Thursday, referring to the research and development center.

“With our expertise in AI development, we will partner with a vibrant ecosystem of researchers, startups and enterprise organizations to build incredible AI right here in Vietnam.”

The agreement, signed in Hanoi in the presence of Huang and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, will involve the expansion of an AI data center belonging to the Vietnamese military-owned Viettel Group, which already uses Nvidia technology.

“The new center will develop valuable platforms for Nvidia and partners to nurture AI innovation,” said Nvidia in the statement.

“Researchers and startups will be able to use this infrastructure to develop AI applications for key industries such as healthcare, education, transportation and finance,” the company said

Nvidia’s agreement came a few weeks after the U.S. announced a new semiconductor export control package against China, curbing exports to 140 companies, its latest major effort to block China’s access to and production of chips capable of advancing artificial intelligence for military purposes.

In response, China retaliated, tightening controls on the export of key raw materials to the U.S. and cautioning Chinese companies against buying American chips.

Nvidia has been a key supplier of high-performance GPUs and AI chips to Chinese companies. In the July quarter of 2024, China accounted for approximately 12% of Nvidia’s revenue, amounting to about US$3.7 billion – a more than 30% increase from the previous year.

RELATED STORIES

US targets China’s chip industry with new export controls

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Did NVIDIA describe Huawei as its ‘biggest competitor’?

Although Huang said in November that the chipmaker remained committed to maintaining its presence in mainland China, the U.S. chipmaker has also been eyeing ways to reduce its reliance on China.

During his visit to Hanoi late last year, Huang said that his firm was committed to investing in Vietnam and making it a “second home.”

At that time, he said the company planned to expand its partnerships with Vietnam’s top tech firms and support it in training talent for developing AI and digital infrastructure.

Last year, Nvidia partnered with Vietnamese AI and cloud computing service provider FPT Smart Cloud. In April, FPT announced that it and Nvidia would build a US$200 million AI “factory” using Nvidia’s graphic chip and software.

Apart from Vietnam, Nvidia has increased partnerships and investments in other Southeast Asian countries in recent years including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

Edited by RFA Staff.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Taejun Kang for RFA.

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Did NVIDIA describe Huawei as its ‘biggest competitor’? https://www.rfa.org/english/news/afcl/fact-check-nvidia-huawei-03152024152712.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/afcl/fact-check-nvidia-huawei-03152024152712.html#respond Fri, 15 Mar 2024 19:27:24 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/afcl/fact-check-nvidia-huawei-03152024152712.html China’s state-run media outlets claimed that American chipmaker NVIDIA had for the first time listed the Chinese tech company Huawei as its “biggest competitor” in its latest annual earnings report.

But the claim is misleading. While NVIDIA did mention Huawei in the report for the first time, it was only cited as one of a number of competitors, not its biggest.

On Feb. 24, China’s state-controlled Reference News said: “The U.S. chip giant identified Huawei as the ‘biggest competitor’ in its report submitted this week to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.”

Reference News cited a report by the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle, or DW, published to back its claim. 

Keyword searches found the report cited by Reference News published on the website of DW Chinese on Feb. 23. It claimed that Nvidia lists Huawei as the biggest competitor in its annual report.

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Chinese official media such as  Reference News claimed that NVIDIA identified Huawei as its “biggest competitor” for the first time in its latest annual earnings report. (Screenshot/Reference News)

Santa Clara, California-based NVIDIA is a leading technology company known for its powerful graphics processing units, or GPUs, which are used in video gaming, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. 

Shenzhen-based Huawei is a global telecommunications and electronics company known for its smartphones, networking equipment, and leading advancements in 5G technology.

While becoming a top producer of both telecom equipment and electronic devices, Huawei was caught in the crossfire of the U.S.-China trade war, suffering a steep drop profit after being blacklisted by the American government for buying unapproved parts from U.S. suppliers.

The claim about NVIDIA listing Huawei as the biggest competitor has been also shared in China’s state-run Global Times. Other Chinese language media such as Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao and Taiwan’s United Daily News published similar reports.

NVIDIA’s report

On page 9 of NVIDIA’s annual earnings report, it does mention Huawei in four of the five market areas where the company faces serious competition, including as a supplier of GPU hardware and as a cloud service featuring in house AI. 

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NVIDIA's earnings report does mention Huawei as a competitor in several market areas, but does not describe it as NVIDIA's “ largest competitor.” (Screenshot/NVIDIA official site)

However, the relevant section of the report does not describe Huawei as either its “biggest competitor” or as a “major competitor,” and instead lists it as one amongst many multinational tech companies such as U.S. companies like AMD and Intel. 

Other Chinese companies mentioned as competitors in the 2024 report  include Alibaba and Baidu. While this is the first time Huawei has appeared as a noted “competitor” in NVIDIA’s annual report, Baidu appeared in the 2023 report while Alibaba was listed as early as 2022.

Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Taejun Kang and Malcolm Foster.

Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in today’s complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers’ understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Rita Cheng for Asia Fact Check Lab.

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More US Controls on China’s Chip Industry https://www.radiofree.org/2023/10/28/more-us-controls-on-chinas-chip-industry/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/10/28/more-us-controls-on-chinas-chip-industry/#respond Sat, 28 Oct 2023 14:25:37 +0000 https://dissidentvoice.org/?p=145306 This week’s News on China.

• More US sanctions against Chinese chip industry
• China tightens graphite export controls
• Industrial renaissance in northeast China
• China approves GM soybeans and corn


This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Dongsheng News.

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