According to foreign media reports, US Commerce Secretary Raymond said on Monday that the US government is discussing with Nvidia the issue of allowing the sale of AI chips to China, but emphasized that Nvidia cannot sell the most advanced chips to Chinese companies.

According to Reuters, on Monday local time, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stated that the US government is discussing with Nvidia to allow the sale of artificial intelligence (AI) chips to China, but emphasized that it cannot sell its most advanced semiconductors to Chinese companies.

"Given that most artificial intelligence chips will be used for commercial applications," Raymond said, Nvidia "can, will, and should sell artificial intelligence chips to China.".

She added that the US government cannot allow Nvidia to sell "the most complex and capable" artificial intelligence chips to China.

The report states that the United States is studying the specific details of three new artificial intelligence (AI) accelerators developed by Nvidia for China. Previously, the US Department of Commerce vowed in early December to restrict any new chips that provide AI support for China. Raymond emphasized, "We will inspect every specification of each new chip, obviously to ensure that it does not violate export controls."

Raymond said, "We have regular conversations with Nvidia, and I should say they are a great partner. We have a close working relationship with them. They share information."

In response to Raymond's latest remarks, Nvidia stated that it is working with the US government, following its clear rules, and seeking to "provide compliant data center solutions for global customers.".

The US Department of Commerce refused to comment on whether it plans to restrict Nvidia's new chips, but reiterated that it will continuously update rules to address changing threats.

Last week, NVIDIA CEO Huang Renxun stated that the company is working closely with the US government to ensure that new chips for the Chinese market comply with export restrictions. "Our current plan is to continue working with the US government to launch a new set of products that comply with certain regulations." Previously, it was reported that NVIDIA had informed Chinese customers that it would postpone the launch of new AI chips for the Chinese market until the first quarter of 2024.

Colette Kress, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Nvidia, stated that in the long run, banning the sale of AI chips to China will result in a permanent loss of opportunities for the US chip industry.