Despite hopes of selling its less advanced H20 chip to China again, Nvidia didn’t have a booth at the World AI Conference that opened Saturday in Shanghai.
🇨🇳 Shanghai AI Event Highlights Chinese Tech Power
At this year’s World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2025 in Shanghai, Nvidia’s absence was as noticeable as the strong presence of Chinese AI hardware giants like Huawei, SenseTime, and Tencent.
Despite being the global leader in AI chips, Nvidia did not take a public role at this key event—marking a stark contrast from past years when its presence dominated such summits. This move comes amidst ongoing U.S.-China tech tensions and export restrictions on high-end chips to China.
⚙️ Chinese Rivals Step Into the Spotlight
Chinese firms didn’t waste the opportunity to show just how far they’ve come in the AI hardware arms race:
Huawei showcased its Ascend 910B, a high-performance AI chip designed to compete directly with Nvidia’s A100 and H100 GPUs.
SenseTime, known for facial recognition AI, emphasized its AI Cloud Infrastructure, optimized to run on domestic chips.
Alibaba’s DAMO Academy presented next-gen AI frameworks that work without Nvidia architecture, a signal of growing independence.
🚫 Why Nvidia Is Missing
Nvidia’s low profile is believed to stem from:
U.S. Export Controls: Ongoing curbs on Nvidia’s advanced chip sales to China (especially A100, H100, and Blackwell series).
Strategic Silence: The company may be quietly navigating geopolitical pressures by reducing visibility in mainland China.
Focus Shift: Nvidia has been doubling down on U.S. and European data center markets amid booming demand for AI infrastructure.
🧮 What It Means for the Global AI Chip War
Nvidia’s absence is symbolic but strategic. While still irreplaceable in global AI ecosystems, China is rapidly working on self-reliance in chip tech. In fact, several booths at WAIC emphasized the message: “We don’t need Nvidia anymore.”
But the truth is more nuanced:
Chinese chips still lag in performance and software compatibility.
Nvidia GPUs remain superior for training large-scale LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini.
However, China’s production scale and innovation momentum could close this gap within a few years.
📉 Market Watch: Nvidia Stock Reaction
So far, the markets haven’t reacted negatively. In fact:
Nvidia remains the top-performing S&P 500 stock of 2025 YTD.
Analysts believe the company is hedging risks smartly and focusing on jurisdictions with regulatory clarity.
🔍 Conclusion: A Power Shift in Progress?
While Nvidia still reigns supreme globally, China’s AI ecosystem is visibly maturing. This Shanghai event may not mark Nvidia’s downfall—but it definitely signals a future with more competition, innovation, and strategic decoupling.
