At least seven Chinese universities that support the country¡¯s armed forces and defense industry are seeking access to Nvidia¡¯s H200 chips, the most powerful artificial intelligence processors ever allowed by the U.S. to be sold in China, according to a review of procurement records.
Two of the institutions that have expressed interest in the H200 chips ¡ª Beihang University and Northwestern Polytechnical University (NWPU) ¡ª rank among China¡¯s ¡°Seven Sons of National Defense,¡± an elite group dedicated to aiding the People¡¯s Liberation Army. Both schools have been blacklisted by the U.S. Commerce Department owing to their work advancing China¡¯s military.
Records show that Beihang¡¯s School of Cyber Science and Technology, which says it has ¡°national defense characteristics and aerospace advantages,¡± is pursuing a lease to use the Nvidia chips. NWPU¡¯s School of Cyberspace Security is also seeking to rent access to H200s, according to the records. The school says it carries out important national cyber tasks, has a national defense innovation team, and that many graduates go on to serve in military units.
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