NVIDIA CEO Praises China's AI Innovation, Supply Chain Complexity

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang made his first appearance at the third China International Supply Chain Promotion Expo on July 16, delivering a speech in Mandarin while dressed in a traditional Chinese tunic. Huang's participation in the expo marked a significant event, as he expressed his admiration for the scale and enthusiasm of the event, highlighting China's support for innovation and its commitment to building a prosperous future.

Huang's visit to China this year has been notable for several reasons. He praised China's rapid innovation in artificial intelligence, driven by researchers, developers, and entrepreneurs. He highlighted the contributions of several Chinese companies, noting that their AI models are world-class and have significantly advanced global AI development. Huang also mentioned that over 1 million developers in China are actively involved in AI, contributing to the field's rapid growth.

During his speech, Huang praised China's supply chain, emphasizing its complexity and the numerous companies that have emerged within it. He noted that China's supply chain is a complex ecosystem that includes various levels of technology and internationalized, ecosystem-level companies. Huang also expressed his desire to purchase a Xiaomi electric vehicle, noting that NVIDIA and Xiaomi have collaborated closely in various areas. He praised China's electric vehicle industry, stating that it has been one of the most surprising developments in the world over the past five years.

Huang's visit to China also included a meeting with Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun. The two executives have a long-standing relationship, dating back to 2013 when Huang attended the launch of the Xiaomi Mi3 smartphone in Beijing. During that event, Huang, who is a self-proclaimed Xiaomi fan, expressed his admiration for the company and its products. Huang's comments reflect the growing importance of the Chinese market for NVIDIA and its commitment to expanding its presence in the region.

Huang also discussed the AI industry, highlighting China's advancements in large models and AI talent cultivation. He noted that the AI industry can be divided into three layers: the computer layer, the model layer, and the application layer. China has made significant strides in the model layer with companies like DeepSeek, Alibaba's Tianwen, and Kimi. DeepSeek, in particular, is the world's first open-source reasoning large model. Huang also praised China's education system for producing some of the world's top AI researchers, with approximately 50% of global AI researchers coming from China. This vibrant ecosystem has contributed to the rapid development of AI applications and companies in China.