Why is the US selling chips to China?

On December 8, 2025, President Donald Trump stated that NVIDIA would be allowed to sell its advanced H200 chips to China. This decision departs from previous U.S. policy that prevented the export of H200 chips to China to preserve the United States’ lead over China in the AI race. Industry leaders touted economic incentives, such as U.S. companies’ desire to strengthen market shares in China, urging President Trump to change the course of the United States’ advance compute export policy. Some experts fear that this decision will yield negative national security implications for the United States and pave the way for Chinese AI companies to catch up to American ones, narrowing the gap between the two countries in the AI competition. How should the U.S.-China tech competition be viewed amid these changing dynamics? 

Paul Triolo joined us on December 12, 2025 to discuss the economic and national security implications of selling NVIDA’s H200 chips to China and how the decision fits into the larger picture of U.S. AI policy.
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