At least seven Chinese universities linked to the military and defense sector have sought access since June 2025 to Nvidia’s H200 AI chips, according to a review of procurement records.

Nvidia, a US chip designer, makes graphics processing units that power many AI systems.

The list includes Beihang University and Northwestern Polytechnical University, two members of China’s “Seven Sons of National Defense,” a group of universities that support the People’s Liberation Army and China’s defense industry.

Both universities are on the US Commerce Department blacklist, and records show they sought leases for H200 computing power.

The review also identified more than 25 Chinese universities and labs working with the military and defense industry that are either using or trying to obtain older Nvidia chips.

The group includes six blacklisted universities.

The review found no evidence of wrongdoing, including violations of US export controls, and could not confirm whether any university obtained access to H200 chips.

Under a US rule issued in January, companies seeking export licenses for the chips must confirm the technology will not be used for a Chinese military purpose or by a Chinese military end user.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

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