US export blacklist fails to block Chinese university’s access to Nvidia AI chips

Résumé détaillé

A Chinese university with longstanding links to the country's military has acquired advanced Nvidia artificial intelligence chips despite bei ...

A Chinese university with longstanding links to the country’s military has acquired advanced Nvidia artificial intelligence chips despite being on a United States export blacklist, exposing gaps in Washington’s efforts to restrict Beijing’s access to sensitive technology.

According to Reuters, Northwestern Polytechnical University purchased two of Nvidia’s H200 processors for 874,700 yuan ($123,000) in October through a Chinese technology supplier, despite restrictions that generally prevent American companies from supplying controlled technology to the institution.

The October 21 procurement record identified Shaanxi Bosuan Network Technology as the supplier and the university’s management school as the purchasing department, indicating that the processors were acquired through a domestic intermediary rather than directly from Nvidia.

The purchase is significant because Northwestern Polytechnical belongs to China’s Seven Sons of National Defense, a group of universities with close relationships with the country’s defence industry. Based in Xi’an, the institution conducts research related to military aircraft, missiles and satellites.

The US Commerce Department added the university to its Entity List in 2001 over alleged involvement in missile proliferation and military research. Washington tightened the restrictions in 2019, making licences for exports of controlled American technology to the institution subject to a policy of denial in most circumstances.

Although President Donald Trump’s administration began permitting certain H200 exports to China on a case-by-case basis in January 2026, the policy did not remove the separate restrictions applicable to blacklisted institutions such as Northwestern Polytechnical.

The licensing rules also require safeguards to prevent blacklisted organisations and military end-users from remotely accessing chips approved for export.

Reuters’ investigation found that the university had obtained access to restricted Nvidia processors…

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