Reuters identifies over $3 billion in Chinese AI projects tied to restricted Nvidia chips

Chinese computing projects worth more than $3 billion are built around Nvidia processors subject to U.S. export controls, a Reuters review published November 13 found. The projects stretch from proposed facilities seeking partners to clusters already reported as operating—a distinction that matters when measuring how much restricted computing hardware is actually in use.

The findings contrast with Nvidia’s position that U.S. export controls have effectively shut it out of China’s AI data-center market. Reuters examined government prospectuses, tender documents and company disclosures covering projects across coastal technology hubs and western provinces.

Large commitments, different stages of development

A proposed AI computing center in Xianyou county, Fujian, carries a 6.2 billion yuan price tag, reported as $873 million. It specifies Nvidia H100 chips and is seeking commercial partners.

In Shaanxi province, state-owned engineering group Sinomach said a subsidiary won a contract connected to a 3 billion yuan computing-center project specifying H100 and H200 processors.

An April government prospectus describes a 2.26 billion yuan project in Jilin combining H100 processors with Chinese-developed chips. Its developer expects bank loans to finance about 80% of the investment.

In Inner Mongolia, a 1.5 billion yuan development proposes installing 625 Nvidia H200 servers. Chinese industry reporting in June said construction had started on two buildings in its first phase.

From construction contracts to operating clusters

In Gansu, a local company awarded a 1.16 billion yuan construction contract in July for a center planning approximately 3,072 Nvidia H100 and H200 processors. A consortium led by a Shaanxi Construction Engineering subsidiary won the contract. The tender documents do not establish whether the processors have been delivered.

Other facilities have advanced further. The Wuxi municipal government said in March 2025 that a computing cluster using Nvidia H800 processors had entered operation.

Shanghai-listed Damingcheng disclosed in June that a computing venture in Fujian had built an H800 cluster. A computing-services agreement it signed, originally worth 759 million yuan, ended early.

University demand extends to smaller purchases

• Shenzhen University awarded a contract for three Nvidia H100 processors in September, Reuters reported.
• U.S.-blacklisted Northwestern Polytechnical University bought two H200 chips the following month, according to Reuters.

For developers still building around restricted U.S. processors, Reuters identifies a supply risk: tighter controls could delay construction, inflate costs or force redesigns around domestic alternatives.