Reuters Maps China's $3 Billion-Plus Pipeline of Nvidia-Powered AI Data Centres

A Reuters review published Friday has identified more than $3 billion in proposed and operating Chinese computing projects that specify Nvidia processors, despite U.S. export controls that the chipmaker says have effectively shut it out of China's AI data-centre market.

The factbox, based on government prospectuses, tender documents and corporate disclosures, lists projects stretching from coastal technology hubs to remote western provinces. It underscores how deeply Nvidia's technology remains embedded in China's AI infrastructure expansion—and how uncertain that supply chain has become.

Projects from Fujian to Inner Mongolia

The largest single project identified is a proposed 6.2 billion yuan ($873 million) AI computing centre in Xianyou county, Fujian province, which seeks commercial partners and specifies Nvidia H100 chips for large-scale AI development.

In northwestern Shaanxi province, state-owned engineering group Sinomach said a subsidiary won a contract for a 3 billion yuan computing centre specifying H100 and H200 processors. In northeastern Jilin province, an April government prospectus describes a 2.26 billion yuan project combining H100 processors with Chinese-developed chips, with the developer expecting bank loans to finance about 80% of the investment.

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

In Gansu province, a local company awarded a 1.16 billion yuan construction contract in July for a centre planning approximately 3,072 Nvidia processors (H100 and H200). The contract went to a consortium led by a subsidiary of state-owned Shaanxi Construction Engineering. The tender documents do not establish whether the processors have been delivered.

Some Clusters Already Operating

Not all projects are prospective. The Wuxi municipal government in Jiangsu province said in March 2025 that a computing cluster using H800 processors had entered operation. In Fujian, Shanghai-listed Damingcheng disclosed in June that a computing venture had built an H800 cluster and signed a computing-services agreement originally worth 759 million yuan, though the contract ended early.

Smaller purchases show demand extending to research institutions. Shenzhen University awarded a contract for three H100 processors in September, while Northwestern Polytechnical University—on the U.S. entity list—bought two H200 chips in October, Reuters reported separately.

Export Controls Meet Physical Reality

The projects highlight a gap between U.S. policy and procurement reality. Nvidia has said U.S. export controls have effectively shut it out of China's AI data-centre market. Yet Chinese developers continue to specify Nvidia's restricted processors in projects worth billions of yuan.

Reuters notes that tighter curbs risk construction delays, inflated costs, or forced redesigns around domestic alternatives. The factbox was published a day after Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang resigned as chief executive over a scandal. Huang had been a vocal advocate of easing export restrictions; his departure could deepen vulnerabilities for Chinese companies exposed to potential supply disruptions as U.S. curbs tighten.

What Remains Unclear

The documents reviewed by Reuters show intent and contract awards, not confirmed delivery of restricted chips in every case. The Gansu tender documents explicitly do not establish whether processors have been delivered. For proposed projects, financing and commercial partnerships are not yet secured. How many of these projects will proceed as specified—and through what channels the chips would arrive—is not documented in the public filings.